A UN report has reignited the controversy over who is to blame for the sorry state of the Arab world: Arabs or the west?
First, the good news. Arab countries have the lowest levels of malnutrition and hunger in the developing world, have made "striking progress" in extending the lives of their citizens, abject poverty is comparatively low and, surprisingly (for me at least), levels of income inequality are moderate across most of the region. These are some of the few silver linings contained in the latest disillusioning and disturbing Arab Human Development Report.
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It is defintely a combination of responsibility. Here is Robert Fisk's take on it although I do not necessarily agree with him
ReplyDeleteRobert Fisk: Why does life in the Middle East remain rooted in the Middle Ages?
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-why-does-life-in-the-middle-east-remain-rooted-in-the-middle-ages-1763252.html
Blame everyone else for your own self-inflicted woes.
ReplyDelete"One of the greatest of these threats, as hinted above, is the state's role as defender of a ruling elite rather than champion of all the people. This is achieved through repressive security measures and a bloated security apparatus, built-in institutional weakness, and the co-opting of nationalism to serve the survival of the regime."
ReplyDeleteOh really? This report although it has some good points, relies on the complete ignorance of the readers.
Isn't that basically what the West does in its foreign policy strategies?
ReplyDeleteWhat's wrong with that, V?
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing wrong with the "face" of the statement, it is just the absense of "who" supports these arrangements, and who makes it profitable for these "states." In other words, in some instances - who proped them up, and who gives them the lifeline to survive. That is ALL that is missing from the statement Molly. In fact, this is what hegemony demands, these types of governments - so if you want to play, the PEOPLE always PAY.
ReplyDeleteHowever, don't get me wrong, the people on the USA get the same treatment -
ReplyDeleteINTERNATIONAL BANKS EXPLOIT THE CRISIS TO REAP MASSIVE PROFITS
"When that resource became too small, they fell back on their shareholders’ money. Now they've got hold of the biggest pool the world can offer: taxpayers’ money.”
The article quotes the head of German operations of an international investment bank, who declares, “The taxpayer is paying for the chips at the casino. It doesn't get any better.”
Following the collapse of Lehmann Brothers in September 2008, the American government intervened with a massive bailout package. Since then, the US government has initiated programs that could potentially allocate up to $23.7 trillion to support the financial system—a sum equal to 1.7 times America’s gross domestic product."
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/jul2009/pers-j31.shtml
The peole always pay, in fact your money is no object when it comes to enriching the few.
Profits are a good thing.
ReplyDeleteExcerpt from above link - (International Banks)
ReplyDelete"In capitals across the world, governments are preparing a social counterrevolution. This is the significance of the Obama health care scheme and the White House’s intervention to restructure the auto industry in accordance with the profit interests of Wall Street."
Prophets are a bad thing.
ReplyDeleteNot even good at predicting!
ReplyDeleteAren't even good at predicting!
ReplyDeleteNot if the profits are based on stealing from the people's pockets...
ReplyDeleteI hope that Prophets instead of Profits was a spelling error on your part Molly, otherwise I will just assume you are ignorant of the truth...
ReplyDeleteYet wherever there is a market, you can bet that DOW Jones is there...
ReplyDeleteDow Jones expands Islamic market measure
http://www.arabianbusiness.com/563053-dow-jones-expands-islamic-market-measure
Soon they will have to drop their "terrorist list" BS, pack a few more in there
ReplyDelete