By Boghos MardirossianAuthor, political and economical analyst
It is anyone?s guess why people in the Middle East are so concerned about politics and talk about it every day. They criticize various issues, analyze them and in the end somehow get themselves involved. Every one in the Middle East seems to understand politics and people argue with each other aggressively over various issues. Why is it that there is more interest in politics in the region and not as much of it in countries like the United States or any other Western state in general? I lived for five years each in Europe and the United States and I never felt bored of politics unlike here in the Middle East. A citizen from a Middle East state regularly reads, listens, watches and argues about politics more than a regular Western person. Is it that the media in this part of the world is more active or attractive than the media in the West? Is it only the media in the Middle East which is responsible for this addiction to politics? Frankly speaking I do not think so, it may be ? to some extent ? responsible for creating this interest among average citizens.
One of the reasons may be because TV satellite channels such as Al-Jazeera, Mustaqela, Hurra, Alam, Manar and Mustaqbal have suddenly mushroomed in the Middle East. What is more interesting is that the Germans and the Russians ? following in the footsteps of the Americans ? have started Arabic language political news channels such as ?Russia Today? and ?TV Arabia?. BBC and Monte Carlo have had such radio channels for a long time. Why are all these international media tycoons suddenly interested in Arabic-speaking Middle Eastern people? There is something in this part of the world. I majored in politics but I have discovered I really don?t understand politics as much as my carpenter, my store man, my apartment caretaker, my wife and my neighbors. Everybody knows something and they can even predict the future of the Middle East politics. Well I really felt lost.
In this part of the world I am surrounded by thousands of political wizards and it is a must for every one to read newspapers and watch political programs and even tune in to political news on their car radios. I know now why in the Middle East I have not been able to find a job in politics since 1992 with my US degree. Thank God I took my mother?s advice, God bless her soul. She told me before she died ?Son do any work to survive and to be successful but don?t go into politics.? She was right but it was too late for me because I had already spent five years studying politics in UCLA.Sometimes I wonder if we really need the services of Middle Eastern political experts in the region.
Thank God we have many around us but nothing works for us. Everyday we panic, we are concerned and we become angry because the pressure builds in us when we listen, watch and read politics. For God?s sake can politics leave us alone for only one hour here in the Middle East? Look what is happening in Iraq and Lebanon. I am tired of watching political debates everyday while innocent people are dying in Iraq. Who will come to our rescue and solve our political problems? As soon as we do away with one political problem another crops up. Lebanon is a typical scenario. People in Lebanon are fed up of political turmoil but they can?t get rid of the ?professional? political masters who feed them a political breakfast every morning. Most of the people in the Middle East are living below the standard compared to the people in the West. Economic prosperity in the Middle East is far behind even among developing countries.
Thank God we have many around us but nothing works for us. Everyday we panic, we are concerned and we become angry because the pressure builds in us when we listen, watch and read politics. For God?s sake can politics leave us alone for only one hour here in the Middle East? Look what is happening in Iraq and Lebanon. I am tired of watching political debates everyday while innocent people are dying in Iraq. Who will come to our rescue and solve our political problems? As soon as we do away with one political problem another crops up. Lebanon is a typical scenario. People in Lebanon are fed up of political turmoil but they can?t get rid of the ?professional? political masters who feed them a political breakfast every morning. Most of the people in the Middle East are living below the standard compared to the people in the West. Economic prosperity in the Middle East is far behind even among developing countries.
What is happening to us? Don?t we deserve a better living, less political debates, crimes, bombs and killings? ?Yes? for politics but ?No? for political addiction. ?Yes? for orderly politics, stability, prosperity and democracy and a big ?No? for politics of enmity between neighbors. ?Yes? for politics of brotherhood and respect between religions and sects but a very big ?No? for killings and insults in the name of religion. Politics as science has been developed to provide a better, safe, stable and prosperous life to the ordinary people. Politics is concerned with the life of people who are living in cities. Politics is a professional tool to organize the power struggle in the society. Democracy is one of the products of political thinking. In the past and present politics was used incorrectly by many people especially by the so-called ?Grand Master of politics? Machiavelli. Politics and any other science must be used for the betterment of human beings and not to torture them.
Source: “Arab Times”, Kuwait, 30 September 2007
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