Adonis Diaries

Causes and catalysts of current “Arab” mass upheavals

I like to differentiate between causes and catalytic factors (both internal and external).

I like to discriminate between delayed cold catalysts and instant hot catalysts for changes.

And I like to remind the reader that current “Arab” mass upheavals in northern Africa and the Arabic/Persian Gulf States will spread to other Arabic, Islamic, and “democratic” States with flawed and inequitable election laws and not representing all the strata of the citizens.

Restricting and implicitly favoring the rich and elite old classes in election laws are very infuriating to free citizens, even in the US and Europe.

The delayed catalysts, meaning the longer-term processes for comprehending and assimilating the resilient conditions, were generated from the US invasion of Iraq in 2003.  The citizens (Islamic and Christian) of the Arabic States learned and were affected by the following convictions:

First, dictators are readily willing to sacrifice their people to hold on to their family and clannish powers;

Second, the verbal counter-offensives of Saddam’s regime (the “ouluge” slogan delivered by the minister of information) was no match to material and technological superiority;

Third, the sudden disintegration of the regime, as the US troops landed on Bagdad airport, demonstrated the fragility of oligarchic and dictatorial political systems;

Fourth, the violence and genocide practices of the US troops proved that western powers are still applying colonial mentality of blatant apartheid tendencies;

Fifth, as the US troops landed in Iraq, it was the woman in Iraq and all Arabic and “Islamic” States who took to the streets and demonstrated against occupation and vented out their frustration and anger.  While men huddled to discuss a “wise” response to invasion of foreign troops.  This phenomenon broke the taboo that women should be incarcerated in their homes and men to lead and care for the family.

Sixth, the Al Jazeera cable channel, headquartered in Qatar, played a much better role than CNN in covering the war.  The embedded foreign journalists and news professionals in the US troops proved to be totally biased and unreliable news “disseminators”; pictured and comments were censured.  The world watched minutes by minutes how the war unfolded and the atrocities committed.

The western powers managed to lay waste in their preemptive wars because news media were not covering thoroughly, accurately and in timely manners what was happening. “No see, no hear, don’t know, live happy and unconditionally support the troops”

Several conclusions or “expert opinions” were drawn by the Arab peoples:

First, the Arab peoples realized without a shadow of doubt that the future is bleak, if no internal reactions are contemplated:  They were experiencing direct control and hegemony of foreign powers via their long-standing dictators.  Even France and Germany reverted their positions and begged Bush Jr. to share in Iraq’s spoils.

Second, the arrogant pronouncements of Bush Jr. of disseminating “democratic” institutions in the Greater Middle East region smacked as a blatant bogus:  The US was content supporting all dictators, oligarchic regimes, and unconstitutional monarchies in the region.

Third, the lingering presence of US troops and the subsequent financial and manpower losses extended a lesson to the US administration that heavy physical occupation does not generate any returns on brutal “investments”.

Fourth, the Arab peoples assimilated the “expert opinion” spreading process.  The dictator and his oligarchy whisper in the ears of the western power personalities that:

1. Extremist Moslems, well-organized, will take over if dictators are pressured to vacate, leaving an explosive void to western interests;

2. Arabs are incompetent in running democratic institutions and Constitutions;

3. The only Constitutions the Arab Moslems are familiar with are the caliph-type rules of omnipresent power over religion and civilian laws;

4. The Arabs are impotent and unable to adjust to modern thinking, rational behaviors, and logical way of life….

Fifth, in reactions to these calumny whispered “expert opinions” by dictators and monarchs, the western media were happy disseminating the same arguments and perceptions of the Arab Peoples, proving again their apartheid tendencies toward Arab/Islam cultures, traditions, customs…

As the US troops lingered in Iraq, the common Arabic citizen everywhere experienced harsher living conditions, blatant restrictions on freedom of expression, and constant extension of State emergency laws.

The dictators were encouraged to regard their citizens as simple chattels since it was the US that ruled and imposed its will and policies.  Thus, the reigning rulers made it a habit licking Bush Jr. and his administrators’ asses and delivering on foreign orders and commands.

To make things worse, the young oligarchy succumbed to the multinational financial institutions way of making quick and easy profit, speculating on their country’s wealth and ignoring economic real development.

The gap between the highly rich and the poor classes widened extravagantly.  This process took place in all the States, those that have fallen and those about to fall, whether dictators or monarchs.

Young Bouaziz of Tunisia quit school to feed his large family of sisters and brothers and sold vegetables and fruits in an “illegal” stand.  Bouaziz was not a university graduate and he bribed a woman officer to let him work.  A decree came from “above” forbidding bribes.  Bouaziz refused to pay the bribe; the woman officer slapped him silly.

If obeying the law is ground to be slapped and humiliated then, what legitimacy remains to the power-to-be?

If apathy is rampant among the population to challenging an oligarchic regime that has been in power for over 20 years then, what else but sacrificing the body and setting fire on the body as the ultimate message of despair?

The message sunk in:  Time for mass revolt “We want to change the regime: Down with Ben Ali and his entourage“.

Why the US and the European governments looked surprised and failed to react appropriately?

For one, the Bush Jr. bogus pronouncement for disseminating democracy was overdue:  The US felt in a tight maneuvering situation to intervene in the revolutions:  The US had first to convince its public that counter-attacking peaceful marchers in the million is proper and legitimate; and the WikiLeaks phenomena of divulging instantly State secrets cooled down the US administration from any covert involvements.

The veto of the US in the UN related to Israel colony expansion and building in East Jerusalem is to be viewed as the last veto the US will contemplate for long time that affect the interest and dignity of the Arab masses.  Otherwise, the US will materially pay heavily for these foolish vetoes.

It is the best timing for the UN to rescind veto powers of the five super-States:  the veto rights are becoming total liabilities to the super-States and to the confidence of the world community in the legitimacy of the UN working to the greater benefit of all mankind.  The UN will find a listening ear to abolishing veto rights.

Note:  Arab States that joined the Arab League of States adopted the Arabic language as the official language, even though formal Arabic is used in administrative services.

These States singed on the Arab League of States, with no clear charter, that meets once a year in one of the Arabic States; they are supposed to meet this year in Iraq and Gadhafi was to head the convention.