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Waking from its sleep: A quiet revolution has begun in the Arab world
The Economist ^ | 23 July 2009

Posted on 08/05/2009 1:35:28 PM PDT by Lorianne

WHAT ails the Arabs? The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) this week published the fifth in a series of hard-hitting reports on the state of the Arab world. It makes depressing reading. The Arabs are a dynamic and inventive people whose long and proud history includes fabulous contributions to art, culture, science and, of course, religion. The score of modern Arab states, on the other hand, have been impressive mainly for their consistent record of failure.

They have, for a start, failed to make their people free: six Arab countries have an outright ban on political parties and the rest restrict them slyly. They have failed to make their people rich: despite their oil, the UN reports that about two out of five people in the Arab world live on $2 or less a day.

They have failed to keep their people safe: the report argues that overpowerful internal security forces often turn the Arab state into a menace to its own people. And they are about to fail their young people. The UNDP reckons the Arab world must create 50m new jobs by 2020 to accommodate a growing, youthful workforce—virtually impossible on present trends.

(Excerpt) Read more at economist.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government
KEYWORDS: arabworld

1 posted on 08/05/2009 1:35:28 PM PDT by Lorianne
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To: Lorianne

..and a revolution is underway in the United States of America.


2 posted on 08/05/2009 1:37:16 PM PDT by cblue55
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To: Lorianne
The Arabs are a dynamic and inventive people whose long and proud history includes fabulous contributions to art, culture, science and, of course, religion...

Historical Hogwash...

The Arabs are a blood thirsty people who have historically slaughtered millions in the name of a false and perhaps nonexistent “prophet” who bragged about the hundreds of people he beheaded.

Everything else, they stole from other peoples, notabaly the Hindus and the Persians.

The modern day Saudis are terrified of what their own people would do if they did not keep an iron lid on them.

3 posted on 08/05/2009 1:52:55 PM PDT by PIF
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To: PIF

“The modern day Saudis are terrified of what their own people would do if they did not keep an iron lid on them.”

And without a doubt will. To be perfectly frank, when you treat the people as an enemy, they will become the enemy. It’s only a matter of time and soon we will no longer need to put up with Saudis. After this current monarch dies and if someone weak is seated on the throne, then the flood will break.

The Saudi royals have time and time again given into the religious freaks while hypocritically enjoying Western luxury. Denying your people what you yourself enjoy leads only to revolution. The only real question is will the revolution end up with Communism or Islamism?


4 posted on 08/05/2009 2:14:23 PM PDT by Niuhuru (The internet is the digital AIDS; adapting and successfully destroying the MSM host.)
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To: PIF

That pretty well says it for me.

That fatalism inherent in the very common expression “Inshallah” points up the lack of dynamic action in the culture.

http://www.grapeshisha.com/the-Inshallah-factor-newsletter.html


5 posted on 08/05/2009 2:21:22 PM PDT by FreedomPoster (No Representation without Taxation!)
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To: PIF; LibreOuMort
The Arabs are a blood thirsty people who have historically slaughtered millions...
Everything else, they stole from other peoples

Please provide some backing references for your assertion -- and also please check my profile page before responding.

6 posted on 08/05/2009 5:51:13 PM PDT by sionnsar (IranAzadi|5yst3m 0wn3d-it's N0t Y0ur5:SONY|Neda Agha-Soltan - one victim of murderous regime)
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To: Niuhuru; PIF; LibreOuMort
“The modern day Saudis are terrified of what their own people would do if they did not keep an iron lid on them.”

And without a doubt will. To be perfectly frank, when you treat the people as an enemy, they will become the enemy. It’s only a matter of time and soon we will no longer need to put up with Saudis. After this current monarch dies and if someone weak is seated on the throne, then the flood will break.

The Saudi royals have time and time again given into the religious freaks while hypocritically enjoying Western luxury. Denying your people what you yourself enjoy leads only to revolution. The only real question is will the revolution end up with Communism or Islamism?
You both are spot-on here. I have no on-the-ground sources to tell me which way Saudi Arabia might fall after -- but then again, the end result of the Iranian Revolution was a surprise to a whole lot of folks, and not least the Soviets.

What I have read of Arabic culture, and what I have encountered generally, I do not like but I have some Arab colleagues who I've learned to both like and trust.

7 posted on 08/05/2009 6:01:16 PM PDT by sionnsar (IranAzadi|5yst3m 0wn3d-it's N0t Y0ur5:SONY|Neda Agha-Soltan - one victim of murderous regime)
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To: Lorianne

More B.S.


8 posted on 08/05/2009 7:14:33 PM PDT by SuperLuminal (Where is another agitator for republicanism like Sam Adams when we need him?)
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To: sionnsar
Do your own research - do not care about your pedigree.

The zero came from the Hindus who had it thousands of years before the muslims invaded. All the science muslims are “credited” with in PC history books came from the Persian libraries before the muslims burned them down and slaughtered all the Persian scholars. ETC.

IF you don't like the history that was, feel free to rewrite it, just don't expect everyone to swallow.

9 posted on 08/06/2009 4:11:29 AM PDT by PIF
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To: sionnsar

There are Islamic Communists - were a lot in Iraq - I think I remember reading some years back.

So along the lines of somehow the Saudi Monarchy is overthrown - it could be by a rabid Islamic Communist.

But they will not place someone weak on the throne - they know what will happen should they be that foolish. Saudis have bigger chance of a) eastern Saudi being annexed by Iran (were most of the oil and Shites are), or b) revolt by those same Shites.

Personally, I’d rather see the place become a parking lot, beginning with Mecca during the Haj, but that’s just me.


10 posted on 08/06/2009 4:21:17 AM PDT by PIF
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To: sionnsar

Be careful how far you spread that trust with them. I lived with them for some time. A word to the wise.


11 posted on 08/06/2009 4:22:34 AM PDT by PIF
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