tahrir concepts http://tahrir.posterous.com Most recent posts at tahrir concepts posterous.com Thu, 24 Feb 2011 04:15:00 -0800 Imperialism 2.0 http://tahrir.posterous.com/imperialism-20 http://tahrir.posterous.com/imperialism-20

The uprising of the people in the Middle East and North Africa is in origin an uprising against Western imperialism and colonialism because the dictatorial regimes and secular systems ruling over the people are the creation of US and European imperialism.

The dictators have been, and continue to be the vanguard of securing Western interests. However we are seeing a different strategy being attempted by the US government to reshape the Middle East and North Africa, as the Western powers were shaken by the events in Tunisia. They saw the people rise up to challenge the dictatorial order and the bravery of the Tunisian people has inspired the people in the region to also rise up and remove the tyranny that has prevailed over them for over eighty years. The revolutionary wave has spread across the region and the Western powers were further shaken by the bravery of the Egyptian people. The US government together with the major Western powers have sought to ride the wave of revolutionary fervour to secure their interests, realising an opportunity to reshape the region. Its orchestration and attempts by Western powers to influence revolutionary events in the region indicate that the struggle has entered a new and complex phase.

The American strategy is audacious and innovative, while indicating division amongst the American ruling class in how to tackle the winds of change blowing in the region. Between those whose conceptions of imperialism is derived from 20th century paradigms and those who get the post-industrial age, and are evolving an imperialism for the information age – imperialism 2.0 - between those who recognise that a change in strategy is required because of powerful demographic and technological trends and those who believe imperial interests can be maintained through the old order. The US government senses an opportunity to realise the aims of the Greater Middle East Initiative (GMEI) originally conceived under the Bush adminstration in 2004, which seeks to "forward a strategy for freedom" by expanding the political rights and political participation of the people as a means to combat the Islamic revival. 

The US government has understood quite well how the demographics of the region combined with new internet technologies threaten the viability of dictatorial regimes, which are so vital to securing US interests. They have understood the power of networks and they have succeeded in globalising capitalist culture - soft power - merging it with the culture of web technology to influence the basis for change in the region. The age of networks - social, cultural and technological - emerging scientific and intellectual fields have created imperialism 2.0.

In Doha last month, I urged the leaders of the region to address the needs and aspirations of their people and offer a positive vision for the future for their sake and for ours because the region is being battered by a perfect storm of powerful trends. A growing majority of its people are under the age of 30. Many of these young people, even the most educated among them, cannot find work. At the same time, however, they are more connected with each other and with events occurring around them because of technology. And this generation is rightly demanding that their governments become more effective, more responsive, and more open.

All of this is taking place against a backdrop of depleting resources. Water tables are dropping, and oil reserves are running out. Leaders in the region may be able to hold back the tide for a little while, but not for long. That has been the story of the last weeks. It is what has driven demonstrators into the streets of Tunis, Cairo, and cities throughout the area. The status quo is simply not sustainable. So for all our friends, for all the friends in the region including governments and people, the challenge is to help our partners take systematic steps to usher in a better future where people’s voices are heard, their rights respected, and their aspirations met. This is not simply a matter of idealism. It is a strategic necessity. Without genuine progress toward open and accountable political systems, the gap between people and their governments will only grow, and instability will only deepen. Across the region, there must be clear and real progress toward open, transparent, fair, and accountable systems.  (Hilary Clinton speaking at the Munich Security Conference)

In the coming weeks we will get a better idea of the situation and despite the attempts of the Western powers to orchestrate and influence events, the people who are waking up from their fear and oppression will also awaken to the reality of the 'revolutions' sweeping across the region. Genuine revolutions will uproot Western imperialism and this is the test of whether the revolutions were genuine or successful. As the people awake they will soon sense whether the revolution has been genuine because a continuation of the secular system supported by the Western powers will mean that the people did not succeed in liberating themselves from the origin of their oppression, the Western powers, and this is the strategic risk that faces the Obama administration:

And of course, there are risks. There are risks with the transition to democracy. It can be chaotic. It can cause short-term instability. Even worse – and we have seen it before – the transition can backslide into just another authoritarian regime. Revolutions have overthrown dictators in the name of democracy only to see the political process hijacked by new autocrats who use violence, deception, and rigged elections to stay in power or to advance an agenda of extremism. So the transition to democracy will only work if it is deliberate, inclusive, and transparent. Those who want to participate in the political system must commit to basic principles such as renouncing violence as a tool of political coercion, respecting the rights of minorities – ethnic and religious minorities, participating in a spirit of tolerance and compromise. Those who refuse to make those commitments do not deserve a seat at the table. We will continue to champion free and fair elections as an essential part of building and maintaining a democracy. But we know elections alone are not sufficient. They’re not even sufficient to secure lasting change. So we also must work together to support the institutions of good governance, the rule of law and an independent judiciary, transparency and a free press, strong political parties, protection for the rights of minorities and more, because those, indeed, are the building blocks of a true democracy.

The transition to democracy is more likely to be peaceful and permanent when it involves both the government in power and a broad cross-section of the citizenry. So in addition to supporting institutions and free and fair elections, we are committed to supporting strong civil societies, the activists, organizations, congregations, intellectuals, reporters who work through peaceful means to fight corruption and keep governments honest. Their work enriches the soil in which democracy grows. So the United States urges the leaders of the region to work with civil society, to see it as a partner rather than a threat, and making the political, economic, and social reforms that are being called for. And just as America engages leaders in the region, we will continue to engage the people through civil society, through dialogue like the town halls that I have enjoyed doing on my travels. (Hilary Clinton speaking at the Munich Security Conference)

The people in the Middle East and North Africa are waking up. It is a new phase in the struggle of the people to liberate themselves from Western imperialism. This struggle will intensify as the Western powers seek to influence the wave of change spreading across the region and the people who seek to shape their own destiny. 

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