Upcoming: Middle East Live with Claire and Judith
Claire Berlinski, Ed. ·
Feb 14, 2011 at 11:45am
Judith and I just tried to record a podcast about the news from the Middle East, but were stymied by technical problems--namely, a weird sound emanating from my computer. It didn't sound that bad to me, but she and the Blue Yeti swore it sounded like a cross between a lawn-mower and fingernails on a chalkboard. The Yeti therefore suggested we open a thread here for the conversation and try again tomorrow, after I've acquired a new microphone.
We'll be in the house for Middle East chat, live on Ricochet, tomorrow. Questions? (Mind you, I'm not in the Middle East right now. But I'm still on Twitter.)
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Dec '10
Re: Upcoming: Middle East Live with Claire and Judith
Is there any possibility of the Iranian protests escalating or is the Iranian regime bloodthirsty enough to use all means necessary to put them down? (And is there any possibility of the Obama Administration saying anything to encourage the protesters there?)
Also, with the Iranian leadership suggesting that the Palestinians rise up against Israel, is there any possibility that the Gazans might rise up to demand that Hamas allow the upcoming Presidential and parliamentary elections to proceed there as they will (one hopes) in the West Bank?
Dec '10
Re: Upcoming: Middle East Live with Claire and Judith
"it sounded like a cross between a lawn-mower and fingernails on a chalkboard"
What's really blood-curdling is the sound of fingernails in a lawn-mower. I overheard that discussion in an emergency room once:
Woman: "I told you not to try looking under the lawn-mower."
Man: "I know."
Woman: "I told you to make sure it was completely turned off before reaching under it."
Man: "I know."
Re: Upcoming: Middle East Live with Claire and Judith
Please comment on the chances for an Egypt style revolt in Iran. Could it really happen there with a Islamic fundamentalist government already in place?
Re: Upcoming: Middle East Live with Claire and Judith
I don't mean to make light of the question, but it's irresistible to say, "Well, at least we don't have to debate about whether it will end up like Iran."
Dec '10
Re: Upcoming: Middle East Live with Claire and Judith
If I'm an Arab protestor in Lebanon or Tunisia or Egypt or Jordan, I might look at the emerging Turkey-Iran axis as a new attempt to subjugate the Arab world to the rule of Turks and Persians, something that supposedly was ended in the 1920s.
Do you suppose that the Arabs see this as a possibility -- that just as they rise up to free themselves from Arab dictators, they're about to be stomped back down under Turkish and Persian bootheels?
Dec '10
Re: Upcoming: Middle East Live with Claire and Judith
I think these things happening are features, not bugs, to this U.S. administration. Remember, genocide is not a good enough reason to have the U.S. military out and about:
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8QGF5700&show_article=1
Read up on the godfather of all this radical violence... the godfather of the Alinsky approach, the Baader Meinhoff bombers, Bill Ayers & Co.... and through Bill Ayers, a lot of the U.S. curriculum in schools, the community organizing that B. Obama participated in... They just have to be totally stoked at how things are going. It will be down to the wire as to whether the U.S. will throw off the "education" brainwash they've absorbed and wake up to turn this back.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Marcuse
I actually met this Herbert Marcuse in the mid-'70s. His words scared me then and they are even scarier now, coming from the very tip top of the U.S. government. What did that guy say this weekend at CPAC; that the Muslim Brotherhood is not in the U.S.?? Wake up, folks...
Re: Upcoming: Middle East Live with Claire and Judith
Stuart Creque: If I'm an Arab protestor in Lebanon or Tunisia or Egypt or Jordan, I might look at the emerging Turkey-Iran axis as a new attempt to subjugate the Arab world to the rule of Turks and Persians, something that supposedly was ended in the 1920s.
Do you suppose that the Arabs see this as a possibility -- that just as they rise up to free themselves from Arab dictators, they're about to be stomped back down under Turkish and Persian bootheels? · Feb 14 at 12:09pm
I reckon some do, yes. The fear of Iran is very significant in the Sunni world (as confirmed by the Wikileaks cables). Arab-Turkish solidarity is significantly overstated. Memories in this region are long. How widespread this concern is, though, I couldn't say.
Dec '10
Re: Upcoming: Middle East Live with Claire and Judith
Claire Berlinski, Ed.
I reckon some do, yes. The fear of Iran is very significant in the Sunni world (as confirmed by the Wikileaks cables). Arab-Turkish solidarity is significantly overstated. Memories in this region are long. How widespread this concern is, though, I couldn't say. · Feb 14 at 12:21pm
Other than Turkey's current government supporting Hamas in Gaza and siding with Syria over Israel, has there really been much evidence of Arab-Turkish solidarity? It seems that the extent of Arab-Turkish solidarity is that Turkey is willing to talk up Israel's enemies -- have the Turks done much over last few decades in foreign aid or military cooperation with the Arab nations?
Oct '10
Re: Upcoming: Middle East Live with Claire and Judith
What role are woman playing in these protests / revolutions? TV coverage shows overwhelming dominance of men (which aligns with their cultures).
The key tragic figure from the 2009 Iranian protests was a woman brutally murdered. Could this indicate that Iranians are more modernized culturally than the rest of the middle east?
Edited on Feb 14, 2011 at 12:51pmMay '10
Re: Upcoming: Middle East Live with Claire and Judith
Questions: 1.) Are you familiar with the 2010 Pew survey of the popular views on Islamism and politics in predominantly Muslim countries? If so, what do you make of it? 2.) Hypothetical: If the Egyptian military maintained control of the government and refused to allow meaningful elections but simultaneously ended the state of emergency, discontinued the martial law enforcement, and committed itself to granting and protecting civil liberties for its citizens, i.e., became, according to Hayek, a "liberal dictatorship", then would you still desire democracy for Egypt?
Edited on Feb 14, 2011 at 1:11pmSep '10
Re: Upcoming: Middle East Live with Claire and Judith
Claire and Judith,
Do any western countries (US, Israel, Canada and the British Commonwealth) have procedures in place to deal with accelerated refugee status claimants from Egypt who are Coptic Christians?
Jun '10
Re: Upcoming: Middle East Live with Claire and Judith
Marx described a natural evolution of politics. You go from monarchy to democracy to socialism. (the last one we're obviously still fighting off) Is there a corollary evolution in the Muslim world, i.e. dictatorship to theocracy to democracy? (this assumes my fear that Egypt can't skip theocracy) In other words, is that the natural next step for Iran or can they cook up something as bad or worse? Oversimplified, of course, but I'm just wondering if there is some historical template that could predict what another revolution in Iran could produce.
Jun '10
Re: Upcoming: Middle East Live with Claire and Judith
Been thinking the exact same thing these last couple of weeks.
Pseudodionysius: Claire and Judith,
Do any western countries (US, Israel, Canada and the British Commonwealth) have procedures in place to deal with accelerated refugee status claimants from Egypt who are Coptic Christians? · Feb 14 at 1:45pm
Dec '10
Re: Upcoming: Middle East Live with Claire and Judith
Machiavelli in The Discourses laid out the natural progression of Monarchy to Aristocracy to Democracy -- but pointed out that each of these has an evil twin: Tyranny, Oligarchy and Anarchy, respectively. Any "noble" form of government on the evolutionary path risks falling into an evil form if the personalities involved give into the temptations of power and corruption.
So we see that the theocracies of Iran and Saudi Arabia have durability from the perks and benefits enjoyed by their ruling classes (the Guardian Council and Revolutionary Guard in the former, the royal family in the latter).
Jul '10
Re: Upcoming: Middle East Live with Claire and Judith
The fact that there is now a violent uprising against a Sharia government may change the flavor of the upheaval across the region. If this bulwark of Sharia is unable to stand, then the bloom will be off the rose and secular liberal approaches may prevail.
In security circles, I have been hearing that Iran was going to come unwound in the next month or three since Reagan's first term. This time perhaps the prize really is in play.
Claire, your middle name wouldn't be Cassandra, would it?
Jun '10
Re: Upcoming: Middle East Live with Claire and Judith
Thanks for the perspective and yes, true enough. Both countries have built in a lot of protective measures, so it will be interesting if/when any cracks show.
Stuart Creque
Machiavelli in The Discourses laid out the natural progression of Monarchy to Aristocracy to Democracy -- but pointed out that each of these has an evil twin: Tyranny, Oligarchy and Anarchy, respectively. Any "noble" form of government on the evolutionary path risks falling into an evil form if the personalities involved give into the temptations of power and corruption.
So we see that the theocracies of Iran and Saudi Arabia have durability from the perks and benefits enjoyed by their ruling classes (the Guardian Council and Revolutionary Guard in the former, the royal family in the latter). · Feb 14 at 3:07pm
Dec '10
Re: Upcoming: Middle East Live with Claire and Judith
Hillary Clinton spoke to reporters today in support of the Iranian protesters (will her boss follow suit or tell her to pipe down?):
WASHINGTON — US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Monday expressed support for the tens of thousands of protesters in Iran's capital, saying they "deserve to have the same rights that they saw being played out in Egypt and are part of their own birthright."
Speaking to reporters after meeting House Speaker John Boehner, Clinton said she and others in [US President] Barack Obama's administration "very clearly and directly support the aspirations of the people who are in the streets" of Tehran.
She spoke of the "hypocrisy" of the Iranian government that hailed the protests in Egypt but has tried to suppress opposition at home.
She said there "needs to be a commitment to open up the political system, to hear the voices of the opposition and civil society."
May '10
Re: Upcoming: Middle East Live with Claire and Judith
Reuel Marc Gerecht in The Weekly Standard argues that, on balance, we should welcome the political upheaval in the Middle East.
Question: On balance, do you, Claire and Judith, wish that the 2010 status quo had continued, or do you prefer 2011's promising-yet-scary roll of the dice?
Dec '10
Re: Upcoming: Middle East Live with Claire and Judith
Dave Molinari: Thanks for the perspective and yes, true enough. Both countries have built in a lot of protective measures, so it will be interesting if/when any cracks show.
Feb 14 at 3:23pm
The cracks are showing, all right. The question in Iran is whether the Revolutionary Guard and the Basij militia are so desperate to cling to the power and privilege they now enjoy that they'll kill as many of their countrymen as necessary to preserve their grip.
The problem in Saudi Arabia is very different. The monarchy runs in parallel with the religious authorities. Whenever the King takes small steps to liberalize and modernize Saudi society to make it stronger and freer, he runs up against the religious authorities -- and their friends in Al-Qaeda.
Re: Upcoming: Middle East Live with Claire and Judith
These are all such good questions. Judith and I are trying to free our schedules for a nine-hour podcast--it will take that long just to begin to give good answers to them all. Mind you, these days a lot can change in nine hours, so it may be out-of-date by the time we're done talking.
Scott, your last question is particularly good. It took me aback, actually.