Egypt and the Middle East: Democracy, Anti-Democracy and Pragmatic Faith.
Abstract
This paper focuses on prospects for Western style “democracy” in the Middle East, pursuing three interrelated points. First, I argue that some “democratic” experiments—for example, Egypt under Mohammed Morsi—are not in keeping with etymological and historical meanings of democracy; second, that it may be totalitarian and also colonialistic and thus possibly contrary to democratic ideals to suppose Western style governments are the only morally acceptable ones; and third, that Middle Eastern countries face realities foreign to the West, and it is wrongheaded to presume that Western systems will inevitably work there if the aim is to improve human wellbeing. While generally skeptical of Western attempts to export democracy, partly because concepts of democracy in the West are already impoverished, and also because “freedom” and “oppression” are often shallowly conceived, I finish on a more hopeful note, focusing on Tunisia, and exploring conditions that led it to succeed were others floundered. I also consider a country for which many hold little hope—Libya—but discuss things that Libya has done right, and why optimism may be warranted.
