Ahmad Al-Jarallah, editor-in-chief of the Kuwaiti daily Al-Siyassah recently wrote an editorial in support of President Bush's election victory and what it means for the Arab world. The following is the article:
The World Has Changed, But Not the Arabs
"The world and relations between different countries have changed beyond recognition. In some cases even the countries have changed and a new order is controlling the world. What's more the United Nations is no longer able to control the relations between different countries.
| If the UN was able to control the relations between countries, I'd consider that to be a bad thing. What the writer actually means is that the UN is no longer able to mediate among countries — or that's what he'd mean if he didn't have the Arab mindset that assumes 'rule', rather than 'govern.' |
All this is happening in the outside world while nothing has changed for the Arab World. We are still living in the past steeped in our age old traditions. Our traditions are the source of our concepts, however old. This has always led us to conflicts with the outside world invariably ending in defeat for us. Such defeats in turn draw us back from the path of development. If there is anything which we have to do urgently it is to correct and remedy this situation.
| Being backward is not a virtue. But try and convince your fellow Arabs of that... |
"We had to give such a lengthy prologue because the U.S. administration - which is responsible for the changes that are sweeping through the world - has started criticizing the Middle East. The United States, which is criticizing the regimes in the region and the living conditions of their people, has succeeded in its efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq. This U.S. administration has the strong backing of its people, who recently re-elected President George W. Bush for four more years.
| So the Arabs still have two choices: either get on board, or try and wait him out again. Since they've been waiting things out for the past 700 years or so, maybe they should try getting on board for a change, just to see what happens. |
We in the Middle East Were Moving Against Development
"Meanwhile, we in the Middle East were moving against the laws of development when the presidential elections in the United States were underway. Our thinking was wrong and we were using our media in the wrong way. We said Bush won't be able to win the elections and claimed Americans won't renew his term in the White House.
| Lost that bet, didn't you? Don't feel bad. Jesse Jackson's still refusing to admit he lost... |
Our thought process is still being conditioned by our old traditions... Unfortunately, we don't want to admit the truth and accept this fact. We thought President Bush won't win re-election because in our opinion he has led America to another Vietnam-like situation in Iraq. With such an ignorant way of thinking we brought on ourselves new defeats, proving to the whole world we are not from this planet. When Bush won the elections, we retreated to our comfort-zone looking for some new calculations which, we hoped, will be correct and bring back our old glory. We hoped our new calculations would lead the American administration to a bad defeat.
Taking my tongue out of my cheek for a few moments, if the Arab world really wants to regain its 'old glory,' the very best thing for it would be to climb on board the Bush bandwagon wholeheartedly. Arab 'stability' has amounted to stagnation for, lo, these many years. The U.S. is the oldest continuously functioning republic on earth, with the possible exception of Switzerland. Yet it remains vibrant — the world's preeminent superpower. There are reasons for its strength: it's a rich country, full of natural resources, which gives it something to build on. But Brazil's just as rich in natural resources, as is Russia. Much more important than the natural resources is our population. We have a continuous movement of people up and down the social and economic ladders. We take in immigrants as fast as they can show up, and sometimes faster than we can absorb them. The names of our leading lights change from generation to generation: first English and Dutch names, then Frenchies, then Irish, then Jewish, then Italian, now Hispanic and, increasingly, South Asian. Most of our citizenry isn't 'pure-blooded' anything — most of us are Heinz 57, and those of us who aren't are likely to see our children marry outside our ethnic group. Along with the immigrants, we get a continuous flow of new ideas: while the descendents of the old generations go on to study modern dance, womyn's studies, or journalism, the new guys are going into engineering and medicine. Arabia Major doesn't have this welcoming aspect, and in fact has quite the opposite aspect. You can't become a citizen, and if you don't adhere to the local customs and traditions, no matter how loathesome, they'll cut your head off.
The Arab world will actually get a cultural 'bump' from the WoT, especially if they lose — it'll be the best thing that could happen to them. After societies are put to a strain, they're reinvigorated by the influence of their adversaries, by the mother of invention demanding they come up with some serious thinking to preserve themselves. The Germans and the Japanese, their manpower and industry decimated in 1945, got just this kind of 'bump' and used it to good effect. South Korea got the same sort of 'bump' in 1953. They also adapted some of the outside influences to their own culture — Japanese teens are even more giddy than American teens, in the menus in Japanese restaurants feature a lot more than sushi and sashimi. They're ready to grab almost anything foreign, examine it, play with it, and, if they like it, keep it. In that respect they're much like Americans; 'American' food includes not only the New England pot roast of our ancestors, but spaghetti, tacos, sushi, 'wieners,' and corned beef and cabbage. But this is the sort of thing that Arabs find most frightening. |
America Will Not Retreat
"We claimed President Bush will never be able to defeat Iraq and said the resistance will kick the U.S. forces out of that country. We described terrorism, which is killing innocent people in Iraq, as ' jihad ' and expected it to win in the end because it is supported by God. To support our calculations, we recalled how the U.S. troops were sent packing from Lebanon in the Eighties because of the resistance in that country. We fondly remembered how the Americans had to retreat from Somalia because of the resistance put up by Somalia warlords. By this way of thinking we forgot the United States has changed and the world has changed with it. The present circumstances in the world are not the same as they were during the days of the Cold War, when the U.S.S.R. was a superpower in its own right.
| It was also before Islamism declared war on us. Leaving Lebanon and Somalia left us with nothing but a bad taste in our mouths. Losing the WoT will cost us everything we have. |
"All of our thoughts have been answered by the second term of President Bush. The mission in Iraq will continue as in Afghanistan. The American administration has stressed it won't pull out of Iraq, unlike in Somalia and Lebanon, until it achieves its objectives and completes its mission in that country.
| In fact, there's every chance we'll end up back in Somalia and Lebanon. |
Changing the world, strengthening relations with other countries and bringing democracy and freedom to as many countries as possible is the strategic objective of the current American administration because from the perspective of its internal security, especially the 9/11 attacks in Washington and New York, this is more important for the United States.
The Culture and Way of Thinking of Arabs Became a Source of Danger for the U.S.
"Things were easy for the Americans until bin Laden arrived on the scene and threatened it from inside their homeland. But now everything has changed. The culture and way of thinking of Arabs, and [what is happening] in the Middle East have become a source of danger for the United States. If we fail to understand the changed situation of the U.S. administration, what is happening in Iraq will extend in one way or another to other countries in the region until the desired change is imposed. The second priority for President Bush is maintaining peace in Iraq and holding a free and fair general elections in Iraq.
| Which'll give us a secure base for expanding freedom into the rest of the Arab and Muslim world. It's going to come one way or the other, so you'd better figure how to salvage what you want to keep before it does. |
"Bush considers the January elections very important. If one hopes the US will withdraw from Iraq in the same way as it did from Lebanon and Somalia, we must say it won't happen. The only thing left for Arab regimes, which are out of tune with the rest of the world, is to understand that standing against the United States is no longer the right way to show their patriotism, especially since they are the real enemies of their people and countries. They must understand the American Administration supports their people, for their freedom and human rights. |