The lesson?
Bambi Meets Godzilla In The Middle East
It's disheartening, but since the time of the Pharaohs, stability in that part of the world appears always to depend on some version of Strong Man Rule: A dictator backed by military force, wielding enough raw power to keep the lid on by any and every means necessary. It's not for the squeamish, but the trains run on time, and attempts at other forms of government seem to degenerate into bloody Hobbesian chaos.
Maybe democratic pluralism is simply not a realistic possibility as long as a society remains essentially tribal: If it's going to function at all, somebody heavy has to sit on it. If that's true, then democracy will fail in the face of strong tribal divisions. Used as just another weapon for dominating enemy groups, democracy may well make things worse.
So, what's the lesson, bring back Mubarak, et al.? If that's not the lesson, what is?
Byron
It's disheartening, but since the time of the Pharaohs, stability in that part of the world appears always to depend on some version of Strong Man Rule: A dictator backed by military force, wielding enough raw power to keep the lid on by any and every means necessary. It's not for the squeamish, but the trains run on time, and attempts at other forms of government seem to degenerate into bloody Hobbesian chaos.
Maybe democratic pluralism is simply not a realistic possibility as long as a society remains essentially tribal: If it's going to function at all, somebody heavy has to sit on it. If that's true, then democracy will fail in the face of strong tribal divisions. Used as just another weapon for dominating enemy groups, democracy may well make things worse.
So, what's the lesson, bring back Mubarak, et al.? If that's not the lesson, what is?
Byron
posted by Byron | Monday, August 19, 2013
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