Over the decades, countries in the Middle East and North Africa have been experiencing revolutions of the masses against the ruling governments. North African countries involved in these revolutions include Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, and Sudan, while Middle East countries include Yemen, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Jordan, Israel, and Bahrain (Challenges Facing Countries Across North Africa and the Middle East). A common characteristic of these countries is that, they are oil-producing countries, they have access to the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, or the Gulf Coast, and Islamists dominate them. Another common characteristic of these countries is that, they have experienced long periods of autocratic leadership, which in many of these countries, took effect immediately after the colonial era ended. In the current decade, many of these countries’ have been experiencing mass uprisings directed towards their governments, with the recent cases coming from Egypt, Libya, and Israel (Challenges Facing Countries Across North Africa and the Middle East).
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These revolutions have attracted different views from different point of views that include conservatives (right wing), liberals (center), and progressive viewers (left wing). From the conservatives' point of view, the revolutions in the Middle East and North Africa are warranted since they will help in removal of autocratic regimes, which have been oppressing the citizens in these countries for many years. According to a Foxnews’ report published in August this year on the U.S and European leaders’ reaction towards the recent uprising in Egypt and Libya, these Arab countries will finally give liberation to the citizens after many years of struggle through dictatorial leadership and oppressive governance (Libya Revolution Puts Obama Administration on Alert for pitfalls of Transition).
The conservatives are of the view that these revolutions will pave way for creation of democracy in these countries, which the western countries have been advocating for a long period. Notwithstanding the positive welcome of U.S and European leaders on the recent uprising in North Africa, conservatives are of the view that these revolutions may be potential threats to global security: U.S and its allies. Conservatives view that the U.S and other western countries should handle these revolutions prudently, by ensuring that the stockpiles of arsenals present in these countries do not find their way into the wrong hands and end up being used to destabilize the security of U.S and its allies (Libya Revolution Puts Obama Administration on Alert for pitfalls of Transition).
The liberal, just like the conservatives, view revolutions in Middle East and North Africa as consequent results of the long quest for the masses for liberation. However, from the liberal point of view, the long quest for liberation is not mainly for the democratic purposes that the West have been advocating for, but for achievement of their religious beliefs. The Middle East and North Africa countries are Arab countries, which observe the guidance of Koran even on matters of governance. “The Koran advises governing with the consent of the governed” (Democracy in Middle East). Based on this, liberals maintain that the revolutions in Middle East and North Africa will continue until the masses in these countries achieve governments, which they have consented.
From the progressive point of view, the revolutions in Middle East and North Africa are mere strategies of global elites to have access to these oil rich countries. According to Tucker, the global elites are taking advantage of the citizens’ desire for liberation from dictatorship, by influencing the masses in these Arab nations to turn against their governments. Hutcher questions the recent series of uprisings in the Arab countries. “The sudden rebellion in Libya is no accident as it follows hotly on the heels of Egypt and the clamorous anti-Mubarak uprisings, the dismissal of the government of Jordan, students clashing with police in Sudan, protest in Yemen, opposition to Lebanon’s new prime minister, protest in Algeria and other recent protest in Bahrain and Oman” (Tucker).
Based on this, the progressive side perceives the revolutions as a strategy by the global elites to ensure that the Gulf line is kept clear for easy access to oil. This is based on the idea that all these countries are the major oil producers in the world, and the global elites own the major oil companies in the world. By achieving some form of democracy or replacement of stubborn anti-imperialism leaders with relatively flexible leaders, the global elites will have access to resources in these countries without much “blow-back” (Tucker).