Since the first wave of uprisings in 2011, the euphoria of the ‘Arab Spring’ has given way to the gloom of backlash and a descent into mayhem and war. The revolution has been overwhelmed by clashes between rival counter-revolutionary forces: resilient old regimes on the one hand and Islamic fundamentalist contenders on the other.In this eagerly awaited book, foremost Middle East and international affairs specialist Gilbert Achcar analyzes the factors of the regional relapse. Focusing on Syria and Egypt, Achcar assesses the present stage of the uprising and the main obstacles, both regional and international, that prevent any resolution. In Syria, the regime’s brutality has fostered the rise of jihadist forces, among which the so-called Islamic State emerged as the most ruthless and powerful. In Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood’s year in power was ultimately terminated by the contradictory conjunction of a second revolutionary wave and a bloody reactionary coup. Events in Syria and Egypt offer salient examples of a pattern of events happening across the Middle East.Morbid Symptoms offers a timely analysis of the ongoing Arab uprising that will engage experts and general readers alike.Drawing on a unique combination of scholarly and political knowledge of the Arab region, Achcar argues that, short of radical social change, the region will not reach stability any time soon.
Daftar Isi
Foreword ix Acknowledgements xi Introduction: Of Revolutionary Cycles and Seasons 1’Democratic Transition’ and Revolutionary Process 2One Revolution, Two Counter-Revolutions 8Syria: The Clash of Barbarisms 15The Abandonment of the Syrian People 17The Making of the Syrian Disaster 27The Assad Regime’s Preferred Enemy 36Turkey’s and the Gulf Monarchies’ Preferred Friends 42The Syrian Predicament 48Russian Intervention and Western Wavering 54Whither Syria? 61Egypt: The ’23 July’ of Abdul-Fattah al-Sisi 65How the Muslim Brotherhood’s Bid for Power Unfolded 67Neither Lion Nor Fox 71Incensing the Country 78Enter Tamarrod 85Nasserist Illusions 95The Military’s Second Hijacking of the People’s Will 101The Ruthless Rise of Abdul-Fattah al-Sisi 108The Tailoring of Sisi’s Presidential Suit 115The Farcical Aspect of Egypt’s Tragedy 121Neoliberal Constancy 124Megalomania and Megaprojects 133The Military’s Takeover of Egypt 140Whither Egypt? 146Conclusion: ‘Arab Winter’ And Hope 151Libya and Yemen: Two Variations on the Same Tune 151The Tunisian ‘Model’ and Its Limits 157The Arab Left and the Strategic Challenge 165Notes 173References and Sources 205Index 221
Tentang Penulis
Gilbert Achcar is Professor of Development Studies and International Relations at SOAS, University of London. He has written extensively on politics and development economics, as well as social change and social theory. His other works include The People Want: A Radical Exploration of the Arab Uprising and Perilous Power: The Middle East and US Foreign Policy, with Noam Chomsky.
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