10 Warnings for Arab Democracies
Truthdig columnist Juan Cole has some sobering words of caution for those in the Arab world with a "once-in-a-century" shot at making their nations into thriving, functional democracies. (more)
Truthdig columnist Juan Cole has some sobering words of caution for those in the Arab world with a “once-in-a-century” shot at making their nations into thriving, functional democracies. In addition to preventing the institution of corporate personhood and making compulsory voting a national policy, Cole’s suggestions have to do with legislating against the ability of the moneyed classes to use their wealth and power to dominate a nation’s political process.
Cole speaks as a member of a society in decline, and his suggestions are written with the tenderness and concern of an elder who is painfully aware of the hazards of self-determination. –ARK
Your support matters…Informed Comment:
… Let me just warn you about democracy. It is a vague ideal and the old-established democracies like the United States are seeing it undermined by a whole host of undemocratic practices that are reminiscent of the police states you just challenged. Here is some advice on how to avoid the mistakes of my generation of Americans, who have perhaps fatally undermined our constitution and turned ourselves into a corporation-dominated national security state. From a twilight democracy heading toward being a large Company town where the workers are deprived of any right to privacy or a fair share of national income to a young vibrant set of democratic movements in the Arab world, I send you this dire warning.
Independent journalism is under threat and overshadowed by heavily funded mainstream media.
You can help level the playing field. Become a member.
Your tax-deductible contribution keeps us digging beneath the headlines to give you thought-provoking, investigative reporting and analysis that unearths what's really happening- without compromise.
Give today to support our courageous, independent journalists.
His 30-year reign in unstable region came to an end in 2011 Arab Spring revolt, which has been followed by years of chaos and uncertainty.
Mass protests have reshaped Iraq, Lebanon, Algeria and Sudan, but you'd never know it from the coverage they've received in U.S. media.
Bodies irreversibly broken by global conflicts serve as an ongoing testament to war’s long legacy of destruction.
The U.S. has aligned itself with some of the worst actors in the Middle East. We'll be living with the consequences for years to come.
Not that Americans are paying attention, but there are important lessons to heed from the collapse of democracy in Egypt.
Hollywood's triumph in the global culture wars is worrisome at a time when conglomerates reign, French scholar Violaine Roussel argues.
You need to be a supporter to comment.
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.