Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Tribes With Flags. By Aaron David Miller.

Tribes With Flags. By Aaron David Miller. Foreign Policy, February 27, 2013.

How the Arab Spring has exposed the myth of Arab statehood.

Why Aaron David Miller is lame, cliché, and offensive. By Issandr El Amrani. The Arabist, March 1, 2013.

More on Egypt and Morsi here.

Miller:

And even in ethnically homogenous Egypt, religious identity defines the fault lines of the country’s turbulent political life. President Mohamed Morsy’s first allegiance isn’t to the notion of an inclusive nation, but to the Muslim Brotherhood’s conception of Islamist governance. And let’s be clear, membership in the Brotherhood isn’t like joining a health club: It requires years to gain entry, and it’s a way of life that demands a comprehensive worldview. Like the Eagles’ Hotel California, you can check out but you can never leave.