PrintMarch 13, 2011
The Middle East Uprising: An Interim Balance Sheet
Popular protests and violence are spreading through the Middle East, leaving all Arab regimes in danger of severe destabilization. In the current situation, understanding the protesters' motives and methods has perhaps become secondary to addressing why so many Middle-Eastern governments now teeter on the edge of collapse. One possible answer is because Arab leadership is patrimonial, being highly personalistic without much assistance from government institutions or the law, and the regimes are authoritarian, being highly dependent on the military and its goodwill. This situation is well-exhibited throughout Islamic history. The patrimonial leader is responsible for everything in all walks of life. All the decision-making processes and the political, economic, and social roles fall to a narrow elite, and the masses are barred from any political influence. That is why historically, as long as the military supported the ruler and the regime, reforms of any...(Read Full Article)
