Stupid Reasons to be Skeptical of the Arab Spring
There are many challenges to real reform in the Middle East. These are none of them Now that these longstanding rulers are no longer in power in the two countries, where do these seemingly leaderless Arab revolts take Tunisians and Egyptians, and how will they effect change to their systems of governance? Virtually all previous … Read more
What Does a Successful Arab Revolution Look Like?
So far, the Arab Awakening has toppled two regimes, in Egypt and Tunisia. Obviously, both countries have fared far better than their bloodier counterparts in Syria and Libya, but serious problem remain. Both countries have postponed elections (both until October – though this is not necessarily a bad thing) and have experienced revolutionary flashbacks with … Read more
Has Jordan Lost its Mind?
The news that Jordanian police beat and injured 17 people, including several clearly marked journalists was certainly shocking. The country has been relatively insulated from the Arab Spring – in part because of the national devotion to King Abdullah and in part because the government has (at least symbolically) moved forward on several reforms, placating … Read more
Jordan’s Unlikely Reforms
A while back we published a guest post on the King of Jordan’s wish to bring political parties to Jordan. The post focused on the way in which Jordanians vote, notably “based on patronage, not policy.” In other words, the creation of political parties will mean little in Jordan as voters and politicians alike will … Read more
Chris Keeler
Chris Whitman
