Emasculation of the Arabs

New theory: the problem in Arab countries is one of emasculation and humiliation.

Not entirely new, I understand, but I think looking at the problem through the lens of emasculation can offer a resolution to the problem not only of Iraq, but of the Arab middle east as well.

What we've seen is increasing identification with a religion that was originally designed as a method of bonding a disparate group of infighting tribes. We've seen a longing for the strongman from Saddam to Osama; characters that exude male violence and strength. We've seen an increasing use of the hijab and other forms of the headscarf, possibly as a sign of further identification with the culture and as a sign of pride and subservience to men who feel emasculated.

The desire to reclaim the manhood of the fomerly great culture is bred from not just the loss of the dominance of the 12th-14th centuries, but also to the regional loss of dominance. For 200 years, the Jews were a regional afterthought; the Jews were never dominant, and were always servile to the regional power of the day, most recently the Ottoman Turks and Arabs. Now, the Jews are the regional military power. The loss of both the 1948 and 1967 wars (along with arguably the 1973 war) has brought the realization of weakness and decay home to the Arabs. It was okay not to be the strongest in the world, so long as they could run their own homes, but when they found themselves unable to rule even their own neighborhoods, their humiliation was impossible to mask.

The Arabs are now looking for the shortest path to the reestablishment of their dignity and power. That path is perceived to be meaningless wars of attrition against the great powers of the world, merely to show they can fight. Losing isn't important, so long as they are perceived to fight valiently. This is the reson behind the adoration of hirribly violent men, worth nothing but good in a brawl.

The Arab world is in the throws of adolesence. The Muslim faith is now 1374 years old. In the year 1374, the Byzantine Empire was in its death throws and Europe languished in the violence of the dark ages. Now, the Muslims are struggling with their emergence into adulthood, and are deciding whether they will be an educated, decent society striving for betterment, or an ignorant, brooding loser dreaming of what could have been.

The Arabs must choose the long road of respectibility, rather than the short road of respect through destructiveness. It's college v. ghetto king. Let's hope they choose wisely.

In the short term, what can we do to ameliorate the situation in Iraq and the region in general while the Arabs choose their path? Well, disengagement is probably wise. Let the Arabs show their muscle against one another rather than against us. A civil war in Iraq would eventually include sunni money from the Saudis and Egyptians, and Shi'i money from the Iranians. This would allow the Arabs (and Persians, and maybe the Turks) to set their own house in order. The problem is that once their house was set straight, the first order of business would be to rid the region of the Israelis. This is why it is a good idea for the Israelis to keep their nukes. Only mutually assured destruction can settle that situation.

The path of disengagement would allow the Arabs to claim a victory, reclaiming some self respect. Allowing the Arabs (and Persians + Turks) to fight it out might give rise to a reevaluation of their political systems (though let's not hold our breath).

Anyhow, just a theory.

//