tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19661405.post8895962188425992323..comments2023-10-20T09:13:15.862-04:00Comments on Swedish Meatballs Confidential (pNSFW): Upgrading Authoritarianism in the Arab World - Despots 2.0M1http://www.blogger.com/profile/05394503964463278951noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19661405.post-6819426036691824802007-10-19T13:25:00.000-04:002007-10-19T13:25:00.000-04:00Oh no. You're not dragging me into that chicken/e...Oh no. You're not dragging me into that chicken/egg controversy. You've had too many honeydew martinis on SoBe.<BR/><BR/>You make the point that "literate Arab citizens today are more connected to global media flows..."<BR/><BR/>This is not the danger within Arab societies, I expect. I think literate Arabs, by definition, are upwardly and economically mobile and thus of less danger to the rulers. <BR/><BR/>The real danger to any closed society is exposure to the openness of Western culture (the recent unpleasantness of the US notwithstanding) this cultural diffusion (contamination) creates a rebellious under-society in just about any culture. <BR/><BR/>While we can correctly state that "Communism" fell because the USSR could no longer afford the economic competition, it was really the refusal of the <I>narodny</I> to continue to go without jeans, western rock n roll records, and the open marketplace of unsupervised community that doomed the Party. When the Party pushed the loyal Army processional divisions to move on the White House (legislature) it was Ivan Ivanovich who stood in their thousands to defend their newly opened society. And the Party blinked and stepped back.<BR/><BR/>The "Arab street" resents Western merchandising but they like our DVD players, televisions and decadent blondes doing Dallas. They resent the cultural imperialism of Coca-Cola, but they drink it. Their women like Parisian <I>haute couture</I> and as economy improves, more women will gave access to the funds to look like their wealthier sisters. No matter what you believe, behind closed doors, Arab husbands pay attention to their wives, and obey. ;)Lurchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08267495048064705949noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19661405.post-82950294561626088412007-10-19T07:10:00.000-04:002007-10-19T07:10:00.000-04:00...or the other way around.;)...or the other way around.;)M1https://www.blogger.com/profile/05394503964463278951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19661405.post-39499490406430417032007-10-17T13:20:00.000-04:002007-10-17T13:20:00.000-04:00It sounds like they've been watchiing their good f...It sounds like they've been watchiing their good friends, Messers Bu$h and Cheney and taking notes. Mandating that ISPs and carriers register the names of all their customers is a nice touch.Lurchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08267495048064705949noreply@blogger.com