Arab Wars and Enduring Disarray

by Emile Nakhleh Arab intra-and inter-state wars in the past century have damaged the Arab world, led to entrenched dictatorships and deeper repression. These conflicts have stifled freedoms of thought, innovation, and creativity. They have alienated youth and created a… Continue Reading

Streetcars Named Deception

by Paul R. Pillar The repeated indicators of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s authoritarian tendencies bring to mind that Erdogan once said, “Democracy is like a streetcar. When you come to your stop, you get off.” With a statement like… Continue Reading

Arab Mayhem and Tyranny: How to Break the Cycle

by Emile Nakhleh In a little over five years since the outbreak of protests in Tunisia at the end of 2010, most of the Arab world has descended into mayhem and tyranny. Many Arab leaders are repressing the opposition with more… Continue Reading

Authoritarian Symps

by John Feffer In the bad old days of the Cold War, the left and the right used to play a nasty game called “Who’s Your Favorite Dictator?” Right-wing ideologues supported authoritarian leaders like Augusto Pinochet of Chile while left-wing… Continue Reading