Democracy in the Middle East: the Answer for a Better Future - Dissertation Example

? Democracy in the Middle East: The answer for a better future for the Arab World? Introduction The Middle East is currently aflame. Popular revolutions have brought down the governments of Egypt and Tunisia. The Libyan leader faces an armed insurrection. Leaders in Syria, Yemen, and Bahrain have all faced organized rebellions. These protestors are calling for major reforms, including democratic elections and institutions. The world is clearly changing rapidly, but what does the future hold? Will democracy flourish in the Middle East in the wake of these revolutions? This is an important topic for those who study Politics and International Relations as it will shape our world in the future. The truth is that the Middle East for many years now has been the lynchpin of geo-politics. What happens on the ground there can influence not only the world economy, but actions in all parts of the globes. We need to be able to understand what is happening there, and determine whether or not democracy will be able to take root and flourish in the sandy soils of the Middle East. Literature Review Can Arab countries become function democracies? There are two main answers to this question which must be explored by looking at the literature. The first answer suggests that democracy is a universal quality and can take root anywhere in the world so long as the people believe in it. This argument suggests that this really is an Arab Spring and that the countries of the Middle East will soon be democracies. As the Economist rightly says, “All too often, before the Arab spring, the choice was between a fatalistic torpor under authoritarian leaders such as Hosni Mubarak or the delusions of extremists such as al-Qaeda. Suddenly Arabs are being asked to shed the culture of victimhood, take responsibility for themselves and uncork the creativity of their young.” However, the newspaper goes on to suggest that is “racist” to believe that democracy cannot take hold in the Arab world (Economist). Nevertheless, there is a reason people have believed that the Arab world was “exceptional” (Browers, 1). The political culture and economic sophistication in these countries is limited and blighted by both corruption and graft. Dynasties take hold quickly and dictators often suppress and torture their people. The conditions are not good for democracy as few institution exist. As Michaelle Browers writes in Democracy and Civil Society in Arab Political Thought, there appears to be something unique about Islamic tradition as it relates to politics. Individualism is not prominent and autonomy is not rewarded (Browers, 2). There is also the question of whether democracy can be considered universal at all in that it comes in many different forms. Different cultures see it in different ways, as Larbi Sadiki writers in The Search for Arab Democracy. If Westerners hold out for a recognizable form of democracy they may be waiting forever (Sadiki, 2). Perhaps Arabs will come up with their own version? But perhaps not. The truth is that the newly “free” countries of the Middle East have their work cut out for them. It will be extremely challenging to become democratic, if not impossible. Those who seek to compare the Arab Spring with the fall of Communism in 1989 are deeply mistaken. There are a great many differences, many of which suggest that Arab countries will not follow in the footsteps of the eastern European countries that threw off the shackles of tyranny back then. As one foreign policy expert, James Goldgeier, recently wrote: In 2011, the United States does not have the same standing in the Arab world with opposition movements that it did in 1989 in Europe, nor do these countries seek to join Western institutions. The West has not promoted a Helsinki-type process in the Middle East that might have built ties with opposition forces, nor fostered a broader regional security framework that could promote peace. Although Hosni Mubarak won’t be around past September, President Obama doesn’t have the kinds of carrots for reform that his predecessors had in the 1990s. We must recognize the limitations of Arab countries to become democratic. They have weak institutions, moribund economies, and poor educational systems. They are dependent on oil and have a long history of conflict, as Elbadawi and Makdisi write in their excellent book on the subject, Democracy in the Arab World (Elbadawi and Makdisi, 2). Democracies are not created on a wing and a prayer. They are built up over the centuries through a great deal of hard work. They must be meticulously tended and cared for. It seems unlikely they will flourish in the Middle East. Aims and Objectives The aim of the paper is to answer the following question: Can democracy take hold in Arab countries that have recently overthrown their governments? There are a number of sub-questions. Are Arab countries developed enough? Do they have institutions that would help with the transition? Do they have the necessary support? Is it racist to believe they can't do this? Methods This section describes the approach, methods and techniques I will employ to write this paper. The research question will be largely answered by secondary source research. Much of the research will be qualitative in nature. I will use databases and search engines to compile factual and opinion-related materials in order fully understand the background of this issue. I will examine specific countries in the Middle East and look at their political institutions and their relative stability and transparency. I will also do primary research by examining government documents. If possible I will try to reach out to academics in these countries in order to interview them via Skype. Getting a firsthand report on what is happening in the Middle East will be very important to my research. I will be careful to vet my questions first with a person who speaks the academics first language in order to ensure that I do not come across the wrong way. I will use the university library as well as university databases to find most of the material. I expect it will take one month to do the preliminary research and two weeks to write the first draft of the paper. Tentative bibliography Browers, Michaelle. Democracy and civil society in Arab political thought. Syracuse University Press, 2006 Elbadawi, Ibrahim and Samir Makdisi. Democracy in the Arab World: Explaining the Deficit. Taylor & Francis, 2010 Goldgeier, James. “Flowers in the Desert.” The New Republic. February 9, 2011. http://www.tnr.com/article/politics/83093/Egypt-democracy-Mubarak-pessimistic Sadiki, Larbi. The search for Arab democracy: discourses and counter-discourses. Columbia University Press, 2004. “Crunch time in Libya.” Economist. April 20, 2011. http://www.economist.com/node/18586995?story_id=18586995 Read More