The Weak Foundations of Arab Democracy
30th May 2011
Note the assumption that Arabs have any interest at all in democracy. (Well, it’s the New York Times; they kinda have to assume that….)
This chronic weakness of civil society suggests that viable Arab democracies — or leaders who could govern them — will not emerge anytime soon. The more likely immediate outcome of the current turmoil is a new set of dictators or single-party regimes.
If Arabs get to vote at all, they don’t vote for the best candidate, or even for the candidate of a particular party; they vote for Uncle Achmed, on the assumption that when Uncle Achmed gets in office (and his hands on that office’s budget), he’ll pass out the patronage.