Middle East Focus: On Alienation and Revolution: Arab Rulers as Slum Lords. Shades of Ante-Bellum South?

Arabia Deserta

On Alienation and Revolution: Arab Rulers as Slum Lords. Shades of Ante-Bellum South?

“Arabs and the Iranian Event: Arab regimes are living a series of contradictions which, if continued will lead to instability, chaos, erosion, and violence. There is weak growth and development of the human element, while the regimes control societies that depend on the regimes for sustenance while refuses to support them. Arab societies take what they can from their states, no matter how feeble it is, but do not support their states if that requires sacrifices…..

"The Arab people does not feel that the ruler represents them, nor that the state is theirs- the citizen feel alienated in his own country, like a stranger……The British monarchy was clever, and eased itself into democracy in order to survive….the French monarchy clung to power and was overthrown in bloody revolution……..”

This reminds me of what someone told me once when was back home in the Middle East, after a long absence. She said “The rulers feel that they own the country, it is theirs alone. They act like we, the people, are only tenants who are renting from them whatever it is we occupy from the country…..”
I had no disagreement with her.

This seems like the common attitude of most Arab rulers and their potentates and retainers. (Let’s call the latter the apartment managers for the rulers. In old American parlance of the ante-bellum they would be called plantation overseers or ‘foremen’).That would make nearly all Arab rulers like slum lords, given the disparities between them and their tenants/peoples. I would not call the people, however, slum dogs even though it is a relative thing.
Cheers
mhg
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