Many Arab countries seem to have reverted to a mode of power reminiscent of a pre-modern form of politics, where coercion is the sole source of power.
An explanation for the conspicuous absence of Arab intellectuals from the revolutionary (and counter-revolutionary) scene.
The famous slogan “The people want the downfall of the regime” follows a notion promoted by Arab autocrats to give the illusion of change and hinder the development of post-revolutionary strategy.
EU politicians can promote 'European' values by stopping their support for autocratic regimes, and by starting to ask tough questions about radicalisation.
A personal account of returning to a profoundly changed city, and of worrying trends under military dictatorship.
The main obstacle facing Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood is arguably not physical repression, but the urgent need for self-rehabilitation.
The Egyptian state has fallen prey to the internal struggles of its security apparatus. Repression has become an end in itself rather than a tool for maintaining the regime’s stability.
White men in suits support Arab autocrats while the suffering many are vilified as dangerous to the fabric of western societies: external threats or worse, immigrants attempting to infiltrate.
Arab autocrats’ power depends on more than physical coercion or the rise of Islamist extremism: it has deeper roots in the role of civil society, orientalism, and identity politics.
In Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Bahrain, it will be very difficult for revolutionary democratic movements to succeed in such a bi-polar order.
Until now, the struggle between autocrats and revolutionaries has been confined within national boundaries. But as the trend shifts towards a pooling of autocratic regimes’ resources, any future confrontation must be regional.
The reasons for the involvement of the west in the MENA region are not limited to oil and security. These are the arguments used by both local autocrats and western powers to maintain control. The real threat however is a global revolutionary movement.
