This post is due by Tuesday, April 8 @ midnight for full credit.
Email late posts to rwilliamsATchamplain.edu for partial credit.
Read the assigned chapters above, and then:
1. Provide 3 SPECIFIC observations about the Arab Spring you learned from EACH chapter of our book, using 2-3 sentences combining the book and your own IYOW analysis.
2. Finally, ask ONE specific question you have of the Arab Spring after completing our reading.
Battle Chpts. 8 & 9
ReplyDeleteMegan Spiezio-Davis
Within the first few pages I find this chapter to be extremely interesting. The first point of high interests was the fact that the United States may be the only country to be more armed with guns than Yemen. This was a shocking fact to me. I know that as Americans we like our guns, but I was surprised to learn that we are possibly the most armed country in the world. I believe that makes that such a surprise is that the media paints a picture of citizens of Middle Eastern countries as having stockpiles of weapons to use as protection. We see pictures in the media all the time of carrying weapons and for something, we are often times never told what these humans are looking for, we are left to question their motives. For the most part we assume they are looking for one of two things; “trouble” or defense.
I have to admit this fact changes the way I view all the images of rebels I have seen recently. Psychologically speaking, my schema has changed from what I thought I knew to what is actually reality. Our country has more guns than Yemen. I realize there could be many questionable factors to this statistic, yet I still find it to be very poignant. One that will stay with me for a while and when the fact is long gone my sense of a changed perception will evolve and hopefully my schema will to.
The information about the chewable narcotic called quat was extremely interesting. The people of Yemen seem to be addicted and spend a lot of their money on this substance. Yet I keep questioning is it the same as coffee? Cigarettes? Soda? Alcohol? Chocolate? This is a very interesting topic, considering that most of the precious money and water supply of this country goes to the growth and selling of this plant. Between this information and the idea that the oil in Yemen may dry up by 2020, this was a great chapter in a book that was getting a little dry for me.
Syria’s story is not as sexy but still compelling. My perception of Syria now is one of great turmoil. I think of a high death toll and a conflicted country. This chapter enlightened me to what has this country torn. The religious sects are varied and so are the views of how the country should be. Yet, it is so interesting to learn that Islam is not the religion chosen for the state. I believe that in that fact alone, we are looking a country that is either very open or acceptable or one that is confused. By the violence still raging there, I will guess they are still confused.
It seems like they lack a strong, sincere leadership. As banking and trade evolves and openness for religion is tolerated it is sad that they cannot unite to have a strong economy and be a leader amongst their struggling neighbors. It is obvious that the economy is a priority with all the changes and focus to details it has brought; one has to wonder if this growth is not in purely in vain.
Chapter 8
ReplyDelete"Yemen is reckoned to be the worlds most heavily armed country after the United States" This quote found one page 195 put a lot of perspective into my eyes. It's incredible that a country this small, comparatively to the U.S, is right behind us in being the most heavily armed. Also its crazy that they are AKs versus your normal riffle. I wonder if it is safer or more dangerous this way, do people just shoot when they want to or is it as casual as carrying a wallet?
I was also impressed to read about how Yemen is the only Arabian country to have political parties. Although the government is not well organized and these parties are not run well it is at least a base they can build off of. I wonder if having a disorganized political party system is better then having one at all.
Although Yemens inspiration for there revolution came from Egypt and Tunisia I thought they made great strides ahead by taking down their leader in a much more politically correct way then there surrounding countries. I was glad the see the Saleh Regime ended peacefully, and that he agreed to step down. It shows a sense of government and how things are suppose to run. The only ugly thing about him sitting down was the six protestors who got shot after by a Saleh Regime fan.
Chapter 9
"Syrias geography complicates it uprising, entangling all sides in a mesh of domestic and international conundrums that augur poorly for a resolution...." pg 217. I never really understood why Syria was there all the 'action' was taking place, although this line put it into perspective for me very well. Unless I am looking at a map I forget that Syria is in the dead center of all the heat, getting influenced by the countries all around them. It makes sense that Syria is the hot spot for the revolution.
I did not realize all the religious issues that where apart of the Syria war. The fall of Assad would ruin what the government had been working for and what they had planned for 50 + years, although I think thats what the people wanted. I did not realize that Islamist, Christians, and Muslims could all begin fighting among each other to decide what practice the land would be known for. Although the majority of the county is Sunni Arab the patchwork and ethics of their past leaders allowed differences to form.
Syria was still fighting the first round in 2012 that Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, and Yemen completes in 2011. The Assads would not go down with out a fight. The issue with this is that it put all the bordering countries on high alert for more wars to break out. The second round will be the battle for religion which will be the final deciding factor of what government will take control over Syria in the end.
Why didn't surrounding countries go in to help the Syrian people over throw their government like they did themselves?
Chapter 8:
ReplyDelete1. “It is the only country on the peninsula to hold meaningful elections, however dysfunctional they might be, and the only one to permit political parties” (pg. 195). Yemen is the only one that keeps their culture and history in their political decisions today despite the fact that the elections might be skewed slightly.
2. “But many Yemenis, as 2011 would again show, had never come to terms with unification” (pg. 197). This part of the book is talking about when the PDRY falling and the joining of Saleh’s north. It is interesting to see that even though these events took place over 20 years ago, the people of Yemen’s strong beliefs of what they want are still there and finally coming to the surface and being heard.
3. “Yemen’s annual renewable water supploes per capita are barely more than 10 per cent of the Middle East and North Africa average, with its groundwater supplies being rapidly depleted by a 24 million-strong population that is easily the quickest-growing in the region” (Pg. 198). As the book goes on to talk about how 4,000 people die every year because of water disputes, it is interesting to see that it isn’t a large concern to the people to change what they are using their water for. If nothing is done, then this number will increase drastically in the years to come.
Q: Oil is declining rapidly in Yemen and it is such a big part of their export. Is it possible to save such a plummeting economy when the oil eventually dries up?
Chapter 9:
1. “When a man was reportedly insulted and beaten by traffic police near Damascus’s ancient roofed market of Souk al-Hamidiya on 17 February, an angry crowd of about 1,500 people gathered” (Pg. 226). After being as quiet as they were compared to the surrounding countries, it seems Syria is realizing just how much that man power and working together can do for a community. This was a small chance for them to be heard.
2. “In January 2013, the UN published a bleak new death toll which estimated that 60,000 people had been killed in Syria since the beginning of the uprising in March 2011. . .” (Pg. 236). The first time I read this, I was very surprised by this number. But as I sit here and think about it, I am not surprised because I remembered the video that was shown in class where the military had no problem running people over in the street. I cannot remember if it was in Syria where this happened, but I am sure the same things happen in surrounding countries in the Middle East.
3. “Syria is still fighting the first round of a battle that Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya completed in 2011” (Pg. 240). I feel as though Syria has lost more throughout their battle than these other three countries have throughout their battles. I’m not really sure if this is going to work in Syria’s favor either.
Ch. 8- In the first few pages of this chapter, the author manages to spark interest over Yemen. For whatever reason, I feel like Yemen is perhaps the most overlooked country in the Middle East by the general public of the United States. I had no idea they were considered the second most heavily armed country behind the United States. Also just the amount of history in Yemen is impressive, its civilization has been for a remarkable amount of time. Aside from being one of the more interesting countries for me personally, Yemen is intriguingly one of the countries in the Arab Spring that the military baked the protestors as opposed to the ruling party. Lastly, it is important to note that even though Saleh has departed Yemen, the political situation is very much still in limbo. The author states, "the rivalry between the Al-Ahmar and Saleh families risks flaring up into conflict at any moment. Neither, so far, appear to have lost much of their political and military clout as a result of the transition."(213)
ReplyDeleteCh. 9- The first thing that jumps out when reading/learning about Syria, is that politically and religiously, the country seems to be much more divided than many other Arab Spring countries. This in turn seems to have caused a lot of the protests, revolts and coups throughout their history. In most countries we have looked at, while religion and politics have played a part, it seems the overally biggest concern is the general welfare of the citizens of that country. Secondly, we are all aware of the current situation in Syria, however the numbers are always shocking to see. 60,000 people have died and there seems to be no progress being made. This is another example were foreign intervention seems to be lacking mostly because of selfish needs and ties to other countries, instead of thinking about the well being of the people of this country. I understand that the outcome of Syria has the potential to change many peoples lives throughout the Middle East but something must be done.
My Question: Is Syria doomed, what are the next steps the international community should take?
Ch 8- I was surprised to learn about the amount of military power Yemen has compared to the size of the country. It is right up there with the United States but is a sliver of it’s size. Leading to what also surprised me--- that the United States is the most armed country in the world. I figured we were in the top five with some of the other rich and powerful countries, but I did not realize we were at the forefront. It was also interesting to learn about the state of Yemen’s government, and that they even had one at all. Even though it is run poorly, it is the only Arab country that has political parties. One more thing I found interesting about Yemen was the “Quat” plant they chewed as a form of narcotic. There are people in poverty spending money on Quat but don’t have enough money to feed themselves. Yemen in a way supports these addictive habits by supporting land distribution for the use of growing Quat. It seems Yemen needs to prioritize.
ReplyDeleteCh 9- I found Syria’s turmoil frustrating and yet very confusing. Clearly they are torn on the way the country should be ran considering all of the religious views involved in the war, but if a great leader emerged from either fighting party, then a resolution might be on the horizon. It seems that Syria needs someone to take the reigns or the back and forth violence will never cease.
Q: Have the neighboring countries had any role in the Syrian war? Have any stepped up to the plate to help intervene?
Chapter 8
ReplyDeleteOne of the most interesting I’ve learned about Yemen is how old the country actually is. In addition to the age of this beautiful country is the fact that there such a definite split between he north and the south. It baffles me how such a center of cultural history is divided. The oil situation also caught me off guard. I didn’t expect to see the number one form of profit for the country to be almost completely gone. Finally I thought that the battle between the Ahmars and the Salehs was a great distraction for tribal leaders to take more control. In a country where tribal communities are very influential in Yemen.
Chapter 9
A problem I keep seeing in the Middle East is the lack of water the fact that in Syria the water reserves are corrupt is sad. Not only does the government control but people need water to survive. Which reminds me that the un human rights says people have the right to water. It surprised me to know that Syria had its toes on the water in many countries, countries who weren’t always all on the same page or in good terms. After all the talk about the Muslim brotherhood and the amount of influence they have to know they were banned in Syria at a point in time took me aback
Question: if corruption is prevalent is there real hope to move forward in politics?
Ch. 8- Yemen is a place that has always existed more as a concept than as a state - I feel as though Yemen does not get as much attention as many of the other countries in the Middle East. I also wasn't aware that they are the quickest growing population in the region.. Creating chaos over resources such as water and land, killing 4,000 Yemenis each year over armed disputes. It also was a bit of a shock to read that 1/5 of yemenis live off of $1.25 a day.. pretty crazy. With Yemen being such a weak state and its plummeting economy, whats next for Yemen?
ReplyDeleteCh. 9- After doing my presentation on Syria, I had a pretty good background and understanding of Syria but this chapter still taught me a lot. It's hard to take in all the information with what's going on in Syria, including all the different overlapping ethnic and religious minorities. I didnt know that when Hafez al-Assad died, there was not a single ATM open, but five years later they finally were allowed to reopen. With the Syrian population being so young, I found it shocking that the soaring house prices made it nearly impossible for young Syrians to rent or buy apartments in the city. It's impossible to say what's next for Syria.. reading that its future hinges on the strength and strategy of the opposition groups makes me think the violence will never end. With no longer term goal besides taking down the Assads, when will it stop?
Chapter 8: Disintegrating Yemen
ReplyDelete- I find it eye-opening that guns are essentially as common to see as people walking around. I also find it astounding that Yemen is just below the US in terms of gun ownership in terms of “heavily armed country after the United States”. Is that the method people take to feel safe? Or are the weapons primarily carried by those in power, such as soldiers and those apart of the government etc. Does everyone carry guns on them, or do most? Why is this such a common sight to see?
- In general the Yemen nation having varying political parties etc. was interesting to me and then on top of this I was interested to learn that they are the only Arab country to have such political parties.
- Yemen seems to be one of the Arab countries that has really had a rough time both in the past, present and seemingly future.Though through the reading I feel that there is still hope even though everyone has such a negative outlook on the Yemen nation.
Chapter 9: The Struggle for Syria
- Syria politically and geographically speaking is a major hot spot, Syria is surrounded by all these other nations and is constantly being influenced by events going on within their own country and those surrounding them. This isn’t including the hand that US plays in general.
- Given the idea that Syria is surrounded by so many countries I can see why there is so much divide internally. Syria has seen many different revolts etc. in much of their past and in their present. This I believe goes hand in hand with the notion that Syria has a ton of different voices from various religious backgrounds, political backgrounds and others who just want to say their part and have their voices heard. Granted sometimes these voices are heard with violent context which isn’t always intended but it happens none the less.
Question - Can Syria find significant help from those internationally? Is that in itself a lost cause? Do they even really seek it? What can people, nations, countries etc. around the world do to better the Syrian situation? Is there possibilities out there for making something out of Syria, even with all the problems it currently has?
Chapter 8:
ReplyDeleteI knew that the United States was the most armed country in the world but i had no idea that the small Middle East country of Yemen was second in line. I would be interested in finding out what kind of gun laws they have in place if any in Yemen. Are guns casually carried? Yemen is also a country in the Middle East that has political parties and holds elections although they are skewed.
Chapter 9: Syria is a complete mess right now with both the civil war and the revolution. The country is so divided within its self that it can't seem to work anything out. I am curious to see if foreign powers or neighboring countries will step in and try to help out. Syria is making strides on improving water supply but it seems that people are still not getting any due to the corruption. I think that no progress can begin to happen until the Civil War starts to come to an end. Until then they are trapped in a never ending struggle for citizen rights.
Question: Is there any help for Yemen and their water supply problems? Or is the 4000 deaths per year going to keep growing?
Chapter 8 : Disintegrating Yemen
ReplyDeleteEverything continues to come back to Tunisia, and the initial uprisings. Ultimately the main catalysts lies within the years of political dismantlement along with endless corruption, terrorist links, and civilian silence. However the spark never would have been set off without Tunisia, or would it have, in a different way? Protests began changing the status quo, and numbers continued to grow, just as it did in many other arab states. Yemen's most powerful tribal clans emerged with open conflict, this blows my mind. I guess you could relate these "tribal gangs" to just regular gangs here in the US. Like one might find the Crips in San Fransciso, and the bloods in New York City, these gangs are huge, but in no way at all are they controlling the country's streets, and swaying political decisions, actually undermining society. They definitely don't have rocket launchers and AK-47s… The sheer amount of rocket attacks, assaults, and bombs, demonstrated by these forces just blow my mind, how are these people getting away with all of this.
Chapter 9 :
The split between Suni and and Shiat, must complicate so much between these countries, and now who the hell are the Alawites! A prominent mystical religious group, centered within Syria.. Funny, most of Syria's air force pilots were sunni, yet the air defense force, which controlled logistics and communications, were mainly Alawite! I guess this prevented the pilots from making a play for power.
Question : Who exactly were the Alawites, I have never heard of them come into play. What was their role through-out the Arab Spring?
Shukran, colleagues - good reflections here!
ReplyDeleteYalla,
W
Chapter 8-
ReplyDeleteSo Yemen's got a hell of a lot of guns. I couldn't believe that they were just behind the U.S. in that category. You think it would be another powerful country like Russia or something. However, it made me wonder what the gun laws like are there or if there are any at all for that matter. Do these people with guns have any power? Or are do they have guns to keep them and their families safe?
Chapter 9-
I wouldn't say that I really like this book but I really do enjoy the super interesting pieces of information we are learning about each country. It's just kind of those small facts that make you always say, "huh, I didn't know that". I have a hard time taking in the bigger concepts like what is happening within the government, but I can understand the smaller happenings within society. It really is sad that whatever religion you are can have an effect on what your life will end up being in that part of the world. Not so much that your life is drastically different than the next person of a different religion, but you are being judged and constantly analyzed according to what religion you are. For example, the book pointed out that a portion of the air force is sunni, and the people on the ground were Alawite.
Do these sects of religion speak on the type of person you are and are appearing as?
Chapter 8:
ReplyDelete1. “As remarkable as Saleh’s ability to cling to power over the years was Yemen’s ability to hold together in the two decades following the 1990 unification that rejoined north and south” (197). I never had realized the sharp divide between north and south. These tensions were a key factor in the violence that sprouted in Yemen.
2. “Yemen is a place that has always existed more as a concept than as a state” (197). The lack of established state power caused a lot of trouble in Yemen. If there was a strong state government, I don’t think the resentment and conflict would have been so damaging.
3. “[The south’s] broad general demands included greater local autonomy, a more equal distribution of state resources and better access to benefits and jobs” (208). I think these requests were extremely reasonable, like many of the requests in the Arab Spring. The unequal support from Saleh’s regime seems like an inevitable cause for unhappiness and revolt.
Chapter 9:
1. “We should not waste time discussing it or being frightened by it” (qtd. Al-Assad 215). I think it’s interesting how ignorant Bashar Al-Assad was about the early protests. He must have not realized how out-numbered his regime was by the population.
2. “Bashar’s lack of natural connection with the countryside became dangerously obvious in 2011” (223). With his age gap and the different upbringing, Bashar Al-Assad seemed to be totally disconnected for the population he ruled. How can someone so disconnected be responsible for the nation’s decisions?
3. The last paragraph of the chapter (242) discusses the wide variety of outcomes that could come from the civil war in Syria. It’s frightening to think about how many people/countries are impacted from one nation’s conflicts. Alliances and strategic positioning are at stake depending on the ending government.
Question:
If US citizens were unhappy with our government, how long would it take us to start large protests? Is our government flexible enough to withstand a rebellion like that in Syria?
Chapter 8 focuses on Yemen. It was interesting to read about the country's history -- its struggle to form tribes into a legitimate nation, the failing of the PDRY and issues between the north and south -- because while the Middle East isn't widely taught in our schools, Yemen is a country I knew nothing about -- shocking, considering the fact that they are considered the second-most armed country after the United States. Since one of the great failings of Yemen's regime was its ability to synthesize across groups, it seems unlikely that rebels will gain any happiness when one of their biggest demands is local autonomy.
ReplyDeleteChapter 9 focused likewise on Syria. The facts that Battle's authors provide us about what a mess Syria was entering the Arab Spring -- different sections of the government under the influence of various religious groups, a leader with no connection to his countryside or people, a housing market no one could afford -- make it even more unbelievable that the majority of the world did not see Syria's uprising coming.
Are the conflicts from which the Arab Spring uprisings evolved too long-standing and interconnected to be solved by new governments?
Chapter 8
ReplyDeleteIt is crazy to think the Yemen is the worlds second heaviest armed country considering how small it is. It is also impressive how it is the only Arab country to have some kind of government and political parties. Although that sounds impressive there wasn't much happening with in the political parties.
Chapter 9
I never understood why Syria had the most war activity out of every country that had a revolution. Now it sounds like it is due to their location, their neighbors and the terrain they have. Difference in Religious groups make it a fight for the country as well as a revolution to throw over to a leader whose greed left him careless about the syrians.