The economic factors behind Arab Spring revolutions and why Mubarak was right
2011 saw some world pillars toppling down. Dictators have fallen in the Arab world as people were hoping for a better future. Prime Ministers have fallen in Europe as its currency plunged into crisis. An earthquake and tsunami pummeled Japan, confronting it with the specter of nuclear disaster.
But while the Arab Spring revolutions erupted unexpectedly, their results have not been clear cut. Egypt is still caught in hostility with riots continuing in Tahrir Square. But the hostility is different now – while in February millions marched in Tahrir Square demanding change and toppling Mubarak, now only few thousands remain to demand their rights.
Apart from the rise of political Islamic power, not much has changed in Egyptians daily life. The small numbers of protesters that keep on fighting reflect the deeper reality that the Cairo uprising earlier this year was driven by economics rather than politics. Egyptians were fed up with the fall in living standards, widespread poverty and mass unemployment that the Mubarak government had caused.
Luojie, China Daily, China
While the West viewed the protests as a call for freedom and democracy, questions of democracy, liberty, and freedom of expression were of little interest to the majority of the population. Even the single act of desperation that ignited Arab Spring revolution in Tunisia was an economical based decision. When a 26-year-old Tunisian street vendor named Mohamed Bouazizi set himself ablaze it was in the face of rampant corruption and a lack of economic opportunity.
While the revolution created fragile democracies—Arab governments need to tackle corruption, slow growth, inequity, and unemployment that helped arouse protest movements. The slowdown of tourism one of the main economic fields in Egypt and Tunisia is not helping the situation either. Sadly, though, no one is talking about building a new system to replace the ones that collapsed. Most of the focus is still on trivial things like how to dress, what religious rules to follow. Not on education, employment or increasing living standards.
Mubarak, in his prime, used to say “My people expect a firm hand. If we don’t lead strongly, they will turn to the mosque for leadership.” Well it turns out he was right and not only about Egyptians. The only thing standing between Egypt and the rise of fundamentalist Islam was … Mubarak. The path the Arab people seem to want, at least for the moment, is the path of Islam.
Now with Islamic parties in power the question remains what type of democracy can they build? Will Sharia law take over crushing women’s rights and all minorities? Will the people revolt again if this does happen?
2011 proved that when it comes to the Middle East anything is possible. 2012 will be a test to how far the Arab Spring effect will ripple – will Islam take over Africa? Will democracy thrive under Islamic rule? Let’s not try to predict what will happen but be sure to keep your eyes open to the global Jihad agenda of radical Islam that’s sweeping over the Middle East and North Africa.
7 Responses to “The economic factors behind Arab Spring revolutions and why Mubarak was right”
While I concede that, thus far, some of the fruits of the Arab Spring may not have been as good as we in “the West” would have wished them to be, I disagree with the theme that some peoples are better left to the “firm hand” of a Mubarak, a Qaddafi, an Assad or a Kim Jong Il (RIP).
It took almost a century for the French Revolution to fulfill its promise. Hopefully the Arab uprisings will take less time, but don’t expect instant results.
Now using short sentences written in English using no more that three syllable words would you care to write a couple of short paragraphs explaining what that fragment of a sentence is supposed to mean.
After you have successfully done that would you care to explain “Family Values” and “Middle Class”.
Thanks in advance.
If Islam is what they want, Islam is what they should have. Who are we to tell them otherwise? Democracy doesn’t mean they turn into America, and anyone who expects them to, or expects a brand new nation to have everything figured out right away, is an idiot.
Ah, but Slamfu……
They will not respect your egalitarian offering. Islam means, according to the Muslim Brotherhoods and Revolutionary Guards of the world, that they must kill the homosexuals by beheading if Sunni and by hanging if Shia.
They kill the women that don’t abide by the dress code or behave the way their religious leaders decide. Women have no property and are indeed the property of a man somewhere, if not married.
They will respect, as equal, no one on this planet except Muslims of their own specific denomination. Culturally, “we the west” are totally incompatible with Islam in every way and must convert to Islam or die.
In their belief, all the problems of the world are created by infidelity to God according to the profit Mohammed’s teachings. Yes there are moderate Muslims, but it don’t look like it’s getting very moderate does? They will let the young idealistic overturn their governments, then take over in the name of God. As you can see, the military loves it.
Democracy, like everything else, is merely a means to an end. The Omega.
Thanks, Roni, for an excellent article, short and to the point. I agree with you that the Arab Spring has deviated from its original goals of establishing a free democracy… if that goal was ever real. Probably not, and I suspect that most protesters were simply angry at the system because they couldn’t find a job or make enough money while the ruling elite (Mubarak and friends) were clearly filling their pockets.
The more important question is whether a Sharia-governed Egypt can be democratic. Hard to say, but the impression is that the Turkish model, much touted at the beginning of the Arab Spring, is forgotten now. With the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafis controlling 65% of parliament, it doesn’t bode well for the liberals’ agenda, does it?
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