Middle East "A Total Disaster": Arab world moving in reverse - by Rainer Sollich

When the Arab world launched into a huge wave of protests three years ago, the most frequently heard slogan was that people wanted to topple the regime. But that was just the lowest common denominator.

Many protesters in Cairo, Damascus or Benghazi also raised more concrete demands for human dignity, justice, participation in government, and an end to oppression. But the protest movements, as well as the beleaguered regimes, lacked a clear, large and unifying vision. Everything focused on the question of power: people wanted to overthrow the regimes and the regimes mobilized all their forces to stay in power.

The initial result of this process has been devastating. Almost all regimes have survived. And in places where they gave in, the situation for the people has, in almost all cases, become even worse.

It's not only Syria and Iraq that are largely afflicted with terror and permanently under threat of collapsing. Libya and Yemen are also in danger of breaking up in internal conflicts and terrorism.

The "Islamic State" (IS), al Qaeda and other terrorist groups appear stronger and more dangerous than ever and have no problems in recruiting new members. The cruelest forms of violence and humiliation are practiced without restraint and spread on Twitter and YouTube in a perverse gesture of triumph before the world's public.

The Arab world has clearly slipped into reverse. Anyone who takes a glance at the political map today will see two main trends: first, there are states ruled by terror, war and disintegration, and then there are dictatorships that depend more than ever on repression - such as Egypt or the majority of the Gulf states.

Consequently an old prejudice is being revived: the Arab people are "not ready" for democracy and, in their conflict-ridden region, could only be kept under control with an iron fist. It's an argument tyrants like Hosni Mubarak or Moammar Gadhafi used to underpin their claim on power, often with tacit Western approval.

This "argument" is arrogant and racist. It's true, however, that due to outdated power and social systems, unfavorable conditions for democratization and modernization prevail in much of the Arab world. In many places, a middle class, which has often been the engine of social change in Europe and other world regions, has barely emerged. The Arab education systems are completely inadequate and hopelessly dilapidated, even in the rich Gulf states.

With uninterrupted, strong population growth and a lack of economic reforms, it is expected that in many countries in the region there will continue to be many frustrated young people, without work and without prospects. In such a climate, religion and ethnicity are easy ways of radicalizing people or inciting them against each other.

Read more: Opinion: Arab world moving in reverse | World | DW.DE | 15.11.2014

China: Keep Your Eye on Beijing

You better watch out Uncle Sam

While the world focuses on the tragic downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 over Ukraine and the deepening Israeli-Palestinian conflict, tensions in another of the world's hot spots -- the periphery of China -- continue to simmer. There is widespread concern among many of China's neighbors -- including Japan, Vietnam, and India -- that Beijing's territorial ambitions could lead to military conflict. And that concern appears to be growing. Even the Chinese are now worried about whether such frictions could lead to war.

The United States and Europe may be distracted by pressing events in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, but Asians don't have that luxury. Tensions closer to home preoccupy them, according to a new Pew Research Center survey of nearly 15,000 people in 11 Asian nations.

When asked, majorities in six of 10 Asian nations, not including China itself, express a favorable opinion of China. But Asian views of Beijing vary widely. There are few fans of Beijing in either Japan (7 percent favorable view of China) or in Vietnam (16 percent), both of which share long-standing territorial disputes with China that have rekindled old animosities. (The animus goes both ways. Just 8 percent of Chinese voice support for Japan, a distaste that also has its roots in history.) Moreover, the Japanese, Filipinos, and Vietnamese consider China the greatest threat to their country when asked about their top allies and threats.

At the same time, more than seven in 10 Pakistanis (78 percent), Bangladeshis (77 percent), Malaysians (74 percent), and Thais (72 percent) express a positive view of China. This may, in part, be due to the fact that 75 percent of Thais, 70 percent of Bangladeshis and 69 percent of Malaysians see China's growing economy as good for them. Moreover, both the Malaysians and the Pakistanis see Beijing as their principal ally.

Beijing is Asia's largest economic and military power, and with that status comes growing frictions with its neighbors. Given that fact, there is widespread concern among publics in East, Southeast, and South Asia that Beijing's territorial ambitions and attendant disputes could boil over into military conflicts. That apprehension is also shared by many Americans looking on from afar. 

Read more: Keep Your Eye on Beijing

Russia: 'No one will prevail over Russia militarily': Putin eyes $700bn to advance Army

Russia will not allow any nation to dominate it in military terms, the Russian president said. Some nations are developing new kinds of weapons, which may tip the global strategic balance, but Russia knows how to counter them.

“Let no one have illusions that he can achieve military superiority over Russia. We will never allow it,” Vladimir Putin said in a speech to the Federal Assembly, the joint session of the two chambers of the Russian parliament.

Of particular concern for Russia are the elements of the US-built national anti-ballistic missile system defense (AMD), which it plans to deploy in Europe. The project was for years justified by the perceived threat from countries like Iran. The controversy over Iran’s nuclear program may soon be settled, but the AMD goes on as planned, Putin pointed out.

“We realize clearly that the AMD system is only called defensive, while in fact it is a significant part of the strategic offensive potential,” he stressed.

Moscow’s objections to European AMD and Washington’s failure to guarantee that it would not be targeted against Russia, have long mired bilateral relations.

Read more: 'No one will prevail over Russia militarily': Putin eyes $700bn to advance Army — RT News