The Yen article begins with its focus on the subsequent lack of advancement of the Arab nations. They blame it on several factors, such as the rise of terrorist organizations, the conflicts with Israel which seem constant, the absence of democracy, and most importantly a lack of nationhood between the nations of the middle east. The second sections discussed the Arab League, who’s 22 members are vastly different in many ways. For instance, many dialects of the same language cannot be understood by other members who speak the same language. Many also have differing religious beliefs, which often leads to bloodshed amongst fellow members of the Arab League. So, what we see in the Arab League is a title given to nations that contrarily makes them seem more like allies than they really are. The conclusion of the piece is that the problems in the Arab nations will not soon be solved. This is due to many factors including “interference of outsiders”, most prominently, the United States. It is said that the Arab arena shall remain in a struggle between U.S. and Iran and that ideological dimension of this is so complex that it should not be resolved soon. Iran is important because it uses the Palestinian’s to hold above America’s head from a distance as to not be directly involved enough to warrant a U.S. invasion, that could forever change the Arab arena.
I think you're belittling the issues in the Middle East a little. It's not only their differences with one another, but there is also such distrust between the them and the rest of the Western world. As we've read in these articles, it's clear that a vast amount of citizens are enlightened to the idea of progress, but the problem lies in the governments. People aren't always safe to agree with the West, and with power in the wrong hands, it's hard to advance.
ReplyDeleteI think that we look at the issues in the middle east, but do not fully understand them. Even when I read stories about how our invasion furthered suffrage, I was selfish thought of how we were fighting for something, and trying to fight for rights there too. We need to take a step back and asses the situation before judging.
ReplyDeleteI think we need to understand that the people of nation are the only ones that may criticize their own society, so that if they desire change, it is up to them to revolt, restructure, and rebuild, as well as choosing when and how advancement may occur. It's easy for an advanced nation's citizens to look at the Middle East and comment about how behind the times they are, but that is because those people don't see the Middle East through the eyes of its people, but instead as only an outsider, thus they have no right to comment on that society without attempting to understand it on its own terms.
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