August 8, 2004
A EUROPE IN THE MAKING:
Prickly, paranoid and occasionally pragmatic: Why is it so hard for Arabs to act together to solve the region’s manifold problems, from the humanitarian crisis in Sudan to the turmoil in Iraq and Palestine? (The Economist, Aug 5th 2004)
Many Arab governments would sincerely like to help heal festering regional sores such as the mayhem in Iraq and the misery in Palestine and Darfur. Not only would this reduce the risk of infection, it would also improve the strained relations with the superpower. But popular distrust of western, and particularly American, motives keeps getting in the way. [...]Obviously, all the region’s problems could be dealt with more effectively if there were more trust in the atmosphere. And what would it take to create it? More western sensitivity to Arab concerns and a less blinkered Arab prickliness about the sacredness of sovereignty in countries with vicious regimes—and about the nobility of “resistance” to any government that is friendly to the United States.
In a few decades, when the Arab world is democratic, peaceful, and prosperous, they'll still resent us for the exact same reason the Europeans do--because it required America to solve their seemingly intractable conflicts. Posted by Orrin Judd at August 8, 2004 10:11 AM
Mr. Judd;
Perhaps there's little cooperation on such things because to solve it in Sudan would be to repudiate the basis for the other governments. It's odd of the Economist to overlook that point.
Posted by: Annoying Old Guy at August 8, 2004 10:56 AMAOG:
Which is one of the main reasons Bush should exploit the issue--it even more clearly than Iraq establishes the principle of unilateral intervention where bad governance exists. That's probably why the Left is so quiet about black genocide.
Posted by: oj at August 8, 2004 11:26 AMThe Economist reborn as MAD Magazine?
"Sincerely," eh?
Prickly! Yes, that about sums it up.
"The misery in Palestine and Darfur"? Let's deftly slip in another obscenity, why don't we. (It would hardly be noticed.)
The column might have mentioned that most of those regimes are inept, corrupt and murderous, and that certain Western governments are growing increasingly sensitive regarding the ramifications (even as others are acutely sensitive that there's a buck to be made). A little honesty wouldn't be much, but it's a start.
(On the opther hand, a little honesty is not terribly appreciated by those prickly types, and most insensitive on the part of anyone who might dare to push the matter.)
Posted by: Barry Meislin at August 8, 2004 11:30 AMOn what evidence is one supposed to believe that Arabs think Arab incursions into black Africa are a 'problem'?
It's like the uproar in Japan when US sailors raped a girl. Never happened with their army, of course.
Posted by: Harry Eagar at August 8, 2004 2:00 PMHarry:
Good point, although the Japanese were typically raping the Chinese and Koreans (and Australians and Americans and Filipinos and so on).
Posted by: jim hamlen at August 8, 2004 7:48 PM