The Development of Democratic Institutions in Arab Culture

[PanzerJaeger]

his [PJ] evidence as far as i'm aware is only backed up by 2 books he linked but failed to reference, and when pressed he produced a bunch of links that were already of dubious quality, if i had to link to think tank based websites i'd produce a whole page myself.

Here's a quick rundown of what happened, just so you're not confused. Out of the paragraphs and paragraphs of easily verifiable information I've written in this thread, you picked out one sentence that was obviously my educated opinion. If it wasn't obvious, I told you it was my opinion in no uncertain terms. Still you demanded sourcing, so I found you multiple sources from multiple intellectuals dated from 1995 to 2010 who share the opinion that there are deep rooted structural issues in Arab society that are holding back modernization. You seemed intent not on discussing the issue, but attacking the credibility of the sources, zeroing in on two of them claiming some neo-Conservative bias, despite the fact the authors were arguing against neo-Conservative dogma. (You may want to do a bit more research on Freedom House - it has been in existence far longer than the neocon movement itself.)

Then, when asked to provide some counter-sources yourself - which is not at all hard to do (Here you go, Banquo) - you gave one commentary, one book by an admitted polemicist and 9/11 Truther who only came to prominence after he was recommended by Osama bin Laden (how's that for a questionable source?), and a link to Salon.com - not a specific article on Salon, just Salon.com.

Here are some more sources that may be of some interest. Each of them discuss various structural issues within Arab culture and civil society that impede modernization. As I said much earlier in this thread, revolution is the easiest part of a democratic transition. The Arab Spring will have to contend with and overcome these issues if it is to become a truly democratic movement and not one of dozens of Arab revolutions that have ended in authoritarian rule.

Civil Society in the Arab World: The Missing Concept

The Islamic Shield: Arab Resistance to Democratic and Religious Reforms

Civil Society and the Democratization in the Arab World

Civil Society and Democratization in the Arab World: The Dynamics of Activism (Not the same as the one above.)

And, gasp, a book from the '90s that I read several years ago and is just as relevant today as it was when published.

Neopatriarchy: A Theory of Distorted Change in Arab Society

Focusing on the region of the Arab world--comprising some two hundred million people and twenty-one sovereign states extending from the Atlantic to the Persian Gulf--this book develops a theory of social change that demystifies the setbacks this region has experienced on the road to transformation. Professor Sharabi pinpoints economic, political, social, and cultural changes in the last century that led the Arab world, as well as other developing countries, not to modernity but to neopatriarchy--a modernized form of patriarchy. He shows how authentic change was blocked and distorted forms and practices subsequently came to dominate all aspects of social existence and activity--among them militant religious fundamentalism, an ideology symptomatic of neopatriarchal culture. Presenting itself as the only valid option, Muslim fundamentalism now confronts the elements calling for secularism and democracy in a bitter battle whose outcome is likely to determine the future of the Arab world as well as that of other Muslim societies in Africa and Asia.

Also, let me just say that I have tried to diffuse the situation by ignoring your ad hominems and providing you with sources that give some backing to my opinion. That hasn't worked, so allow me to pursue a more direct route. While I remain unchanged in my opinion, I do apologize if I've offended you. There was no racism meant in my comments, only a criticism of the dominant culture in the region which has adherents of many races. Obviously, I can travel a few hours North to Dearborn to see Arabs who have abandoned certain elements of their culture and successfully embraced the democratic process.