Failure of Arab Society: Making Excuses


Figure 1.--.

The Arabs at the turn of the 20th century were among the poorest most backward people on earth. For years the Arabs blamed their failure on Ottoman rule. Then for a brief time they blamed European colonialism. But most Arab states have been independent for more than 50 years. Why have they failed to participate in the global economic boom. The Arabs have consistently failed to undersand that economic and social development is based on the Western combination of free trade, democratic institutions, and free minds. The Arabs have consistently rejected these basic principles of the Western liberalism. Rather they have consistently turned to totalitarian, authoritarian approaches. Many Arabs during the 1930s and Workd War II era were attracted by the NAZIs. This was the framework in which the Bath was created. After World War II there was an attraction with Soviet supported Arab socialism. And now the old traditional totalitarian approach of theocracy. As with all totalitarian regimes, any problems in societies are blamed on the outside world. At first it was European colonialism. Ironically while the Arabs who complain loudly about European colonialism, attempt in large numbers to emigrate to Europe, legally and illegally, because there is so little economic opportunity in their now independent homelands. As the era of European colonialism is gone and the problems in the Arab and wider Muslim world continue, new culprits must be found. Arab leaders have proven incapable of solving problems. They have proven very adroit at making excuses. The best example is President Nasser's excuse as to why Isreal defeated the much larger and well equipped Egyptian military in the Six Days War (1967), the American joined in on the air strikes. It was a lie, but an effective one. It was widely accepted by Egyptians and the wider Arab world. Since then the tendency is to blame problems on America and the Jews.

The Ottomans

For years the Arabs blamed their failure on Ottoman rule. We do not know enough about the Ottoman rule of Arab lands to assess the impact of Ottoman rule on the Arabs. The Ottomans seized control of much of the Arab rule in the 16th century. There is no evidence that the Arab world at the time was flourishing. It is clear that the Arab world at the turn-of-the 20th century was one of the poorest most backward areas of the world. I don't know enough about the Ottomans to be able to assess reponsibility to Ottoman rule or the nature of Aran society. The most economically vibrabnt part of the arab world was Lebanon where the European powers pushed the Ottomns to allow a high level of local autonomy.

The Europeans

After Wotrld war the Allies seized control of Middle Eastern Arab countries (Iraq, Lebanon, Plestine (including Jordan), Syria. The British already had a protectorate in Egypt and Aden and France and Italy controlled North Africa, Thus for a brief time the Arabs could blame the Europeans.

Independence

Most Arab states have been independent for more than 50 years. With independence if the problems were the result of Ottoman and European rule than Arab countries would have boomed economically, GNP and percapita income would have risen, public health and education would have improved, and the Arabs should have joined the modern world or at least began to close the gap. HBC has developed some of the indicators to help define modern and backward nations. The problem is that indeprndence has not brought the improvement in conditions that the Arabs expected. The Arabs have not participated in the global economic boom. Arab countries measured by per capita income are still among the poorest countries in the world. The only exceptions to this are the oil states. But factor out the oil, countries like Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states are as poor as the other Arab states. The Arab states do not produce any important product other than oil to export. The Arab people simply are unproductive unlike devloped countries there is no creation of wealth.

The Liberal West

The Arabs have consistently failed to understand that economic and social development is based on the Western combination of free trade, democratic institutions, and free minds. The Arabs have consistently rejected these basic principles of the Western liberalism. They have failed to understand why the West and Asian countries adopting liberal systems (India, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan) have proven so successful. Even liberalizing totalitarian regimes (China) have benefitted. The genius of the West has been ignored inthe Arab world. Generally Arab thinkers explain the West's success as the result of what they call economic imperialism, industrialized countries exploiting the developed world. One of the many excuses the Arabs make to explain their lack of progress.

Totalitarianism

Rather than adopting the liberal poolicies and political systems that have led to economomic success, the Arbs have consistently turned to totalitarian, authoritarian approaches. Many Arabs during the 1930s and World War II era were attracted by the NAZIs. The NAZI resistance to the British and French were an important factor. NAZI anti-Semitism was another factor. Another allure was a strong, dynamic leader willing to use military power and police state policies to dramatically change society. In this framework the Bath (Iraq and Syria) and the Free Officwrs movementb (Egypt) was created. After World War II the NAZIs were discredited, but not in the Arab world. But a new foreign sponser was needed which proved to be the Soviet Union. Soviet totalitarianism offered many of the same attraction as the NAZIs and the Soviets were willing to provide large quantities of modern weapons. There was this a period of experimentation with what was called Arab socialism. The disolution of the Soviet Union and re[eatted defeats at the hands of tiny Israel has given rise to a more traditional totalitarian approach--Islamic theocracy.

More Excuses: America and the Jews

As with all totalitarian regimes, any problems in societies are blamed on the outside world. At first it was European colonialism. Ironically while the Arabs who complain loudly about European colonialism, attempt in large numbers to emigrate to Europe, legally and illegally, because there is so little economic opportunity in their now independent homelands. As the era of European colonialism is gone and the problems in the Arab and wider Muslim world continue, new culprits must be found. Arab leaders have proven incapable of solving problems. They have proven very adroit at making excuses. The best example is President Nasser's excuse as to why Isreal defeated the much larger and well equipped Egyptian military in the Six Days War (1967), the American joined in on the air strikes. It was a lie, but an effective one. It was widely accepted by Egyptians and the wider Arab world. Since then the tendency is to blame problems on America and the Jews.

Egypt

President Nasser's excuse as to why Isreal defeated the much larger and well equipped Egyptian military in the Six Days War (1967), the American joined in on the air strikes. It was a lie, but an effective one. It was widely accepted by Egyptians and the wider Arab world.

Sudan

In what goes for journalism in Saudi Arabia, a Saudi journalist with the Okaz newspaper asked Sudanese Defense Minister Abdel Rahim Mohamed Hussein who was on an officual visi to Saudi Arabia, ""Some people are talking about the penetration of Jewish organizations in Darfur and that there is no conflict there? ... Are the Jews behind the Darfur conflict?" He replied that "The Darfur issue is being fuelled by 24 Jewish organizations, who are making the largest amount of noise over the issue, and using the Holocaust in their campaigning." The interviewer thean asked, "Are these Jewish groups supporting (the rebels) financially?" Hussein replied, "Yes, they provide political and material support through their control over the media and across American and British circles," Hussein said, adding that Jewish groups were using "all means to fuel these conflicts." [Okaz]

Sources

Okaz (July 2007). I dont't have the the exact isuue, but it was about July 24.






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Created: 5:23 PM 7/27/2007
Last updated: 5:23 PM 7/27/2007