The Pulitzer and the Arab spring

I've seen some complaints that this year's Pulitzer Prize largely eluded coverage of the Arab uprisings, but the winner in the editorial cartooning category, Politico's Matt Wuerker, did provide some uprisings-related work. See a gallery of Wuerker's work here. Still, strange to see so little recognition of some of the fantastic work done during the uprisings — at least starting with Egypt, since English-language coverage of Tunisia was largely AWOL. 

The Western Spring

I’ve been following the Occupy Wall Street movement in the United States intermittently but with great interest. I am deeply pleased to see people in my country finally express some indignation (indignation that, unlike the Tea Party’s, isn’t high-jacked by racism and right-wing millionaires) over the way financial interests have dominated and perverted our political system. And challenging the insidious restrictions on the use of public space and the freedom of assembly and expression that have proliferated since 9/11 (regarding which, please, please watch this video by genius British activists).  

I’m also fascinated by the fact that the protests in the US and in Europe are so clearly inspired by the so-called Arab Spring. 

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The pessimist's take on the Arab uprisings

Rob Malley and Hussein Agha, in a NYRB essay well worth reading for its many insights into the regional situation — most notably that it will continue to be extremely chaotic and could well result in a regional war — offer a grim prognostic about revolution:

Revolutions devour their children. The spoils go to the resolute, the patient, who know what they are pursuing and how to achieve it. Revolutions almost invariably are short-lived affairs, bursts of energy that destroy much on their pathway, including the people and ideas that inspired them. So it is with the Arab uprising. It will bring about radical changes. It will empower new forces and marginalize others. But the young activists who first rush onto the streets tend to lose out in the skirmishes that follow. Members of the general public might be grateful for what they have done. They often admire them and hold them in high esteem. But they do not feel they are part of them. The usual condition of a revolutionary is to be tossed aside.

The Arab world’s immediate future will very likely unfold in a complex tussle between the army, remnants of old regimes, and the Islamists, all of them with roots, resources, as well as the ability and willpower to shape events. Regional parties will have influence and international powers will not refrain from involvement. There are many possible outcomes—from restoration of the old order to military takeover, from unruly fragmentation and civil war to creeping Islamization. But the result that many outsiders had hoped for—a victory by the original protesters—is almost certainly foreclosed.

I think he's wrong, or rather than this is an unnecessarily pessimistic view of the long-term processes unleashed by what happened this year. Things could get very grim, especially in Yemen and Syria, but the picture is not one of universal despair.  

On offensive appropriations of the Arab Spring

It had to happen. No major world event can go untouched by politicians and pundits who try to appropriate to push their own preconceived notions and ideologies.

One I recently came across was during a conference call in which Bob Zoellick, the head of the World Bank, described Mohammed Bouazizi as "a private entrepreneur who found himself fighting government red tape." I couldn't believe someone can be so callous in appropriating the self-immolation of a young man to push his agenda of boosting private entreprise, but it turns out this is part of his latest stump speech. On April 6 Zoellick gave a speech about MENA in which he recast the tragedy as one of lack of free markets rather than lack of rights:

But then also, what’s important to keep in mind, all of it doesn’t have to be done by the government.  And here’s the sharpest reminder, you know, the– the– the fruit and vegetable seller– Bouazizi in– in Tunisia that head all this off, what was his complaint?

His complaint was he just wanted to be able to sell fruit and vegetables but he was bein’ harassed because of licensing and red tape.  This is important because particularly in many developing countries where you have what’s called a large informal market, so it’s not the– the formal business employment system, if you stymie entrepreneurialism, if you stymie small businesses, you’re really hurting that type of entrepreneur, many of whom are women I might add.

You stay classy, Bob.