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The Cloisters in Upper Manhattan |
Syria, and Iraq were ill-fated creations, the legacy of a period of colonial rule following the decline of the Ottoman Empire. Yugoslavia was another example of a modern invention, albeit under the auspices of different historic forces.
Arab Spring fractured the slim nationalistic ties that were often held together
by tyrants. Essentially Assad, Hussein and Gaddafi were right. Without terror
the conflicting agendas of their fractured constituencies would create an
unparalleled cauldron of ethnic volatility. So what will the new Iraq and Syria
look like? What will be the fate of Libya? Yugoslavia faced a similar situation
after the death of Tito when the countries liberation from Communism unleashed
centuries old vendettas that had been suppressed by in that country’s case, a
benevolent despot. One looks back longingly at benevolent despotism and cynically
at the prospect of democracy in countries where irrational hatred seems to be
the lingua franca of political life. In fact, neither despotism nor democracy
is likely to prevail and perhaps the currently hopeless situation in a country
like Syria where terrorist groups, like Al-Qaeda and Hezbollah, who are
themselves bitter enemies, vie for control of the revolution presages the future
of many parts of the world.
What we are
witnessing is a return to tribalism and feudalism. Unable to live together,
each religious and ethnic group will stake out their territory with former
nation states fragmenting into highly guarded enclaves, the walled fortresses of
the middle ages. New Yorkers joke about seceding from the United States, such
is their revulsion at the values of middle America. But it’s no joke. What's happening in the Mideast could spread like a virus even in those Western
countries who consider themselves both the beneficiaries and benefactors of the
Englightenment.
Interesting. An economics hobbyist I know has long proposed that a sustainable future for humans would be in smaller, semi-autonomous groups. Breaking into groups isn't the problem, apparently; getting the groups to work together on larger projects affecting regional or continental issues would still be a poser. Is it possible that we'll grow into our name: sapiens? I'm not willing to bet on the future of the human species.
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