Mark Lynch, a political professor in George Washington University and the author of the "Abu Ardvark" blog had an interesting post "Talking About Jordan" last week. Mr. Lynch's post emerged as a result of a social gathering that he had talking about the "confederation option" and other current issues with several of his Jordanian journalists friends. Marc made me laugh when he refused to divulge the identity of those journalists as if the "confederation issue" is a taboo and was not discussed by tons of Jordanian journalists in almost all daily and weekly Jordanian newspapers or as if those journalists are going to be hanged for meeting with him.
After talking about the "confederation issue", Mr. Lynch remembered suddenly that he needed to spice up the conversation so he started to ridicule the Jordanian political system pointing out that there is no clear line of succession in Jordan if (God forbids) something happens to the King. He reminded us all that the King abolished the position of the Crown Prince and finally suggested few names to run the country if a crisis hits, particularly mentioning the name of the current head of intelligence; a subtle indication that Jordan survives and thrives on people like Dahabi who rules by fear and intimidation.
After reading his post, I discovered why America is doomed these days in Iraq. It is people like Lynch and other bureaucrats in Washington DC who keep interpreting the events in our warm part of the world from their air-conditioned offices using their western mindset. Those bureaucrats might know how to read and write Arabic to impress their audience but do not have any clue about the Arabic mind and culture. The truth is that democracy in its westernized version might not be the best option for running a government in the Middle East. We are all tired and can not afford to keep trying ideas succeeded in the West. The only three democratized countries are Iraq, Palestine and Lebanon. If this what democracy is all about then to hill with it.
It is stability that we are all after in the Middle East; that is why the Palestinians are dying to have a confederation with Jordan after fighting against it for decades. It is about having a central and unifying figure who has the legitimacy (Being a Hashemite; a descendant for the prophet's line for e.g.) who can bring the tribes that make up the fabric of the collectivistic community together. That is why Jordan is stable and strong but thanks for Mr. Lynch's concerns. Mr. Olmert and Netanyahu before him expressed theirs concerns about the future of Jordan. Their genuine empathy and concerns had an underlying motive and that to keep America to stay in Iraq which is quite understandable. What I do not understand is Mr. Lynch underlying motives?
And, oh by the way Mr. Lynch, There is a navigation system in Jordan to determine the line of succession. The late King Hussein talked about it ten years ago when he established a royal counsel with a purpose to meet and determine the best to run the country but thanks any way for the list of candidates that you've mentioned. I am not sure Jordan needs it.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
32 comments:
Wow.
I think that you read too much in Lynch's post. I can see why you got angry but i think that you took it personal a little bit shifaa. Americans usually refer to people with first name and they do not mean to be rude or anything like that.
Who is this guy anyway? I never heard of him before. Good responce Shifaa. Keep up the good work.
Rachel
It is not mentioning people by first name what bothered me. It is the lack of cultural understanding which is clearly behind so many crises and wars that we suffer from today. I typically ignore when it comes from an ordinary person but Lyunch should have known better
i am amazed at how many of the western educated Jordanians are anti-democratic. but when you think of it, most of them belong to a class that owes its wealth and influence to the regime (our tax money, actually) and as such their loyalty lies with those who ensure their privilege. And never be fooled by their westernized facade and command of western languages. They are as rotten, as corrupt, and as backward as they come. When they return to Jordan or the Arab world, they will fill key positions and will sustain the backward social and political and cultural structures of Arab societies. If you want to understand the failure of any society, take a very very very close look at its ruling classes and the those they keep close by. Scratch the thin veneer of modernity but plug your nose before the nasty stuff comes out oozing. This post by Shafii is just a tiny sample of the real rot.
Adli,
I am not going to delete your comment although I might later on just to prove that I believe in democracy. However, you might first want to consider seenig a psychiatirst. Prozac is a very good thing for people with anger issues like you. Your complaints about subsidizing your house and car and all the other items that you've mentioned is well taken, however you might want to stop for a second and look around you. People like you in countries with no oil) that richer than us as in Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Iraq and Palestine, they do not have to worry about all the mentioned subsidies because they do not have them.
I am sure that an Islamic government in Jordan will solve all the problems that you have mentioned. With an ambitious economic plan to close Jerash festival, banning beverages on RJ flights, fighting Israel, your life will be in a better place.
Finally, you can say whatever you want to say without being vulgar and disgusting.
Anon,
Thanks for your comment. It is well spoken. I believe in deomcracy, I am just in a stage of giving up on its westernized model. I look around me and see that the westernized version of it is not working in our part of the world. I am not rich and and I believe in social justice and to reach out to the poor and the marginalized in our society. I am not sure though that a full action democracy will solve their problems. I personally do not benefit from the class system that you've mentioned.
But seriously, the version that we are forced to use these days in the middle east has flaws that make it impossible for it to work. It might not fit with our local culture. NOw if you have an idea how to adjust democracy to fit and succeed, then please share with me, revive my idealistic spirit. However do not make it personal like the guy who comment before you. I respect your opinion and you must return this in a civilized manner.
first, it was repression in the name of fighting communism. then, it was repression in the name of fighting nationalism, another time it's brutality in the name of stability, and now it's repression in the name of fighting fundamentalism.
Shafii. What in the world does corruption have anything to do with fighting extremism? Fact is there was corruption and repression and inequality in Jordan long before there was any Islamic extremism. If any, the regime was friends with the islamists back in the good old days.
lets dispense with excuses.
And is all you care about is the Jeresh film festival and alcoholic drinks on your royal jordanian trips? is that what worries you? do you know how many Jordanians cannot even attend Jeresh and will never even dream of boarding an airplane?
You are so out of touch with most Jordanians and their concerns and all you care about is your Jaresh festival and alcoholic drinks. A truly a shining example of the Jordanian elite. YOU ARE AGAINST DEMOCRACY BECAUSE YOU WANT TO PARTY? YOU WANT TO KEEP JORDAN BACKWARD AND REPRESSIVE BECAUSE YOU WANT TO HAVE YOUR BEER. GOOD LORD!!!!!!
Anon, thanks for your insightful responce. You characterizing me without knowing me. You called me rich which I am not, I wish I was. And I am one of those party animals, elitist or whatever and also I do not mind to be called with that but defintely does not describe my patterns of thoughts or my personality.
Regarding Jerash Festival and RJ. I was pointing out that there is no correltation between democracy and economic benefits which Adil and many other people believe so. Sirlanka is a democratic coutnry and the UAE is not. How many people wish to live in the UAE and how many immigrate to Sirlanka every year? So my answer was a responce to Adil that his life might not be better of if a the weseternized version of democracy was applied in Jordan.
Economic benefits come as a drect result with the Open Market economic system, transerancy, corruption. Now I am not against these principles. No sane person is against them, I would love my child to have the same opportunity like everyone else. Which by the way might be reinforced by deomcracy. Each party that comes to power might first want to cement its power by benefiting the exact ones that brought it up. Do you see my point.
Regarding Jordan advancment and the advocacy for the poor whom I like personally to identify myself with. I think that poor families in Mafraq and Shuneh are more interested in having a factory built close to where they live than to have a elected government. Regarding Beer..I do not drink:-)
Argileh may be.
Adil, you are a living example why democracy might not work in Jordan. Democracy 101 do not intimitdate those who do not agree with you.
p.s Shifaa, you do not keep up with this psychopath insult. Delete it
Anon, Jordan ranked 40th among 161 interms of transperancy and corruption fighting which is not bad by all standards. There is always of course a place for improvment, but I do not think that things are so bad as you say.
31- United Arab Emirates.
32- Qatar.
36- Bahrain.
39- Oman.
40- Jordan.
46- Kuwait.
51- Tunisia.
63- Lebanon
70- Egypt and Saudi Arabia
79- Morocco
84- Algeria and Mauritania
93- Syria
111- Yemen
156- Sudan
16- Iraq
OH NO! HERE COMES ANOTHER VOICE OF MEDIOCRITY TO TELL US THAT 40TH PLACE IN A COUNTRY WITH NOOOOO RESOURCES IS NOT SO BAD. BEFORE, ANOTHER EDUCATED JORDANIAN BEFORE HER TOLD US JORDANIANS ARE BETTER OFF WITH DESPOTISM REPRESSION. OH YEAH!!! THE FUTURE OF JORDAN LOOKS GREAT!!!!! YEAAAAHHHH BABY!!!
"Democracy 101 do not intimitdate those who do not agree with you. "
OMG!!!!! THE CRAP KEEPS A COMING. ALL THE BRIGHT JUSTIFICATION FOR DENOUNCING DEMOCRACY KEEP A COMING.
The sad part is that the only democrats in the Arab and Muslim world today are the FRIGGIN ISLAMISTS AND NOT THE "WESTERNIZED SECULARISTS"
SOMEONE SHOT ME!!! I CAN'T STAND THIS JORDANIAN FREAK SHOW.
Shifaa,
First concern should be toward our system of rule.
Are the regimes/leaders in ME doing right?
Of course most of us in ME, Jordan Syria, Saudis UAE Libya, and Sudan and on and on are not happy, they are not happy simply because these leaders failed to deliver the normal descent level of life and freedom.
I challenge you if any ME country let say student can demonstrate on the street for grieve from university, they may be arrested beaten and may be more. Why ? Why we don’t listen to them hear from them respect their wish…why …..Why? And so what they can do?
So we living in a culture of fear, not because we are Muslims and Islam its domestic culture that these regimes and kings they introduced to themselves using Islam, Politics and whatever means they can suite them.
Democracy works in ME if we start apply it now its will work after 5-10 years but if you take the lid off now then surely there is chaos because our society grown on statues and culture of fear.
Let take example example did we respect our kids????
I think we are way behind two things:
As Muslims we are "Muslims by birth” we forgot the soul of Islam and its very details of respect and treatment of humans, I don’t say here listen to those Imam which I have own believe the fail to deliver the massage to people.
We live in society have culture of lying, don’t respect, hatred, any many ill's that our religion Islam forbid them, so where that take us.
We lost our way of life we are not really really Muslims nor have Muslims attitude and we are livening under fear from the rulers because that the only way they find that to lead us and we accepted because that early age fears inside us prevent us to ask, to question to choose to speak.
Thanks
Say
"Democracy works in ME if we start apply it now its will work after 5-10 years" I think that most people are concerened about daily food. None of us cares what is going to happen in five to ten years. What are you advertising can not be bought by average people.
I am not advertising here my friend, but democracy not like food it’s a way of life to be trained for not like food to feed every day to survive.
ME survived without democracy but they went for bad to worse in all the levels of life include their food that you looks more concerns a bout which understandable.
I would like to ask you one thing here as you brought the people concern for food, why ME countries specially the wealthy and who call themselves westernized never ever introduced the Social welfare that give each single person (man women) and kids descent support to help them to live?
Can you tell me why?
Most if not all of the kings and regimes and the supporting official they study, live and educated fro western world, some may used or exposed to that regime of social welfare in western world why none of them brought back and introduced here?
And for your info if you don’t, the social welfares is in facts Islamic system which was named under Islam Biet Al-Mal (بيت المال) so why that vanished from our lives today?
Say and Anon,
First Say, it is good to see you again on the blog my friend. Second, to tell you the truth, I am all for democracy but very close to give up on it. You both raised good points about the importance of education and how things might change in the future if new generations learn how to debate without getting angry or violent.
At this point, I think that democracy as a dream is loosing its flames in the ME. People are getting more and more discouraged by what they see and want to move forward with their lives rather than spending their lives expermenting new forms and ideas.
I apperciate your passion about democracy. I had the same dream one day but I confess that it is loosing its appeal as years go by.
Anon, I apperciate your comment about the social welfare system. Certainly, it has some roots in Islam. I am not sure that inactivity of these programs in the ME has to do with rulers. I think it is more correlated with the huge expenses for these social programs. I am all of it. But I am not sure if Jordan budget can handle big social programs. Any economists out there to add 2 cents to the conversation?
All right. Thank you Anon for defending me but enough is enough. I am urging you all to have a civil conversation here. NO Profanity, no vulgar words are allowed in this place. You all can share whatever you want in a civilized manner. If you can not control your mouth, please find another place.
Why all the excitement? Anon is clearly a Qaeda inspired islamic fascist who talks about democracy but would end democracy if he were ever elected. FYI, Anon, Jordan does have an official social welfare system. The government disburses up to JD 150 per month from the social welfare fund. Despite that, I do not believe, my brilliant Anon, that social welfare has anyhting to do with democracy. Democracy is a form of government where the majority rules while respecting the rights of teh minority. I fear for the rights of the minority if you were ever to rule (of course as a democratically elected rulere ya rayyis) ya Anon ya Za3eem. Finally, FYI, teh Jordanian constitution says that the eldest son of teh King is first in line to rule after the death of the King. The naming of a crown prince is not necessary since the constitution already has teh line of succession spelled out. So, upon his death (may it be a long long time from now) teh Kings eldest son would assume the throne by constitutional authority.
I'll just call myself one of teh corrupt elite so that Anon can continue living in his delusional world.
If you read Lynch's other blog posts about Jordanian "democracy" then you will understand why so many foreign observers around the world feel concerned about the pace of Jordan's "reforms." When people argue that democracy cannot be imposed by outsiders, it is often a poor excuse for internal events. There are disturbing trends in Jordan that must be addressed: why does an unelected repressive apparatus like the GID hold so much power to detain and interrogate and sometimes torture prisoners without due process? Hint: I bet you they aren't all terrorists--any more than all of America's "prisoners" at its detention camps are. Why does parliament, the only elected body at the national level, wait by the King's decision as to when elections must be held, sometimes for years? Hint: it's never "convenient" to hold elections, but that's no excuse for delaying them by years...
And so forth. You say tribes make up the "collectivistic community" here in Jordan but you know damn well how thin that statement is. You know that not all of our tribes are equal. You know that the Palestinians actually matter now, otherwise you would not see them occupying such close positions to the King inside the Royal Court. You say Jordan is stable and strong, but in large part due to the massive foreign aid that Western countries have given it for decades.
Ya shifaa, you are falling into a dangerous trap. You reject Western opinions on Jordan because they do not understand the Arab "mind and culture." You need to realize that this is EXACTLY the kind of essentialist argument that the conservatives used when launching the war on Iraq. The Arab "mind and culture" was not ready to grasp democracy by itself, it needed military help from the outside. If you keep insisting that the Arab "mind and culture" is alien to democracy, you will encourage even more Westerners to think the following:
1) Look! The Arabs themselves say they DON'T understand democracy, hence they are backwards, savage people.
2) If the Arabs don't understand democracy, perhaps we should give it to them. By force, if necessary.
I personally believe that our Arab "mind and culture" DOES understand democracy. It does not need a strict Western democracy, but it also does not need repression, conflict, and unrest that come with non-democratic governments. It needs something other than the status quo.
A片,A片,成人網站,成人漫畫,色情,情色網,情色,AV,AV女優,成人影城,成人,色情A片,日本AV,免費成人影片,成人影片,SEX,免費A片,A片下載,免費A片下載,做愛,情色A片,色情影片,H漫,A漫,18成人
a片,色情影片,情色電影,a片,色情,情色網,情色,av,av女優,成人影城,成人,色情a片,日本av,免費成人影片,成人影片,情色a片,sex,免費a片,a片下載,免費a片下載
情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣,情趣,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣,情趣,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣,情趣
A片,A片,A片下載,做愛,成人電影,.18成人,日本A片,情色小說,情色電影,成人影城,自拍,情色論壇,成人論壇,情色貼圖,情色,免費A片,成人,成人網站,成人圖片,AV女優,成人光碟,色情,色情影片,免費A片下載,SEX,AV,色情網站,本土自拍,性愛,成人影片,情色文學,成人文章,成人圖片區,成人貼圖
交友,AIO交友愛情館,AIO,成人交友,愛情公寓,做愛影片,做愛,性愛,微風成人區,微風成人,嘟嘟成人網,成人影片,成人,成人貼圖,18成人,成人圖片區,成人圖片,成人影城,成人小說,成人文章,成人網站,成人論壇,情色貼圖,色情貼圖,色情A片,A片,色情小說,情色小說,情色文學,寄情築園小遊戲, 情色A片,色情影片,AV女優,AV,A漫,免費A片,A片下載
酒店經紀 酒店打工 酒店工作 酒店上班 酒店兼差 酒店兼職 打工兼差 打工兼職 台北酒店 酒店應徵 禮服酒店 酒店 經紀 打工 兼差
台北酒店 酒店兼差 酒店兼職 酒店
酒店兼差 酒店兼職 酒店 台北酒店
酒店兼職 酒店 台北酒店 酒店兼差
酒店 台北酒店 酒店兼差 酒店兼職
酒店經紀 酒店打工 酒店工作 酒店上班
酒店經紀 酒店打工 酒店工作 酒店上班
酒店經紀 酒店打工 酒店工作 酒店上班
酒店經紀 酒店打工 酒店工作 酒店上班
Post a Comment