Sunday, January 15, 2012

In Harpoonworld Republicans are Scary, Unpragmatic Theocrats While Arab Islamists...Not So Much

The Toronto Star's resident Islamism booster, Harpoon Siddiqui, says Canada is missing the boat, Arab Spring-wise. Even Harpoon can see that it's not so much a "spring" as it is an installation of Islamists, but since Barack Obama (who, as the pundit notes, is talking to the Muslim Brotherhood) is on board with the seasonal shift, Br. S. thinks Canada's Harper should be too. After all, it's not as though the new batch of Islamists settling in to leadership roles in Arab lands is worrisome or anything:
The Islamists have turned out not to have horns. Some have sounded scary but most have been pragmatic. So have been the voters supporting them. They seem far less theologically driven than the rank-and-file and the leadership of the Republican party.
Their real test will be how they address deeply entrenched economic problems and create jobs for the young who constitute a majority of their populations...
In view of the giddiness in Western quarters that accompanied the uprisings and the assumption that the "change" would bring a form of Western-style democracy, albeit one modified to suit non-Occidentals, isn't that--i.e. mere job-creation--setting the bar rather low?

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