The Great Kuwaiti Divide
Just read this interesting interview in Newsweek with one of the authors of a new book called The Great Divide. He explains his theories about red- and blue-state America, and takes the "two nations" argument more seriously than most, exhaustively documenting the ways they believe a backward-looking "Retro" America, characterized by conservative religious values and lockstep Republican loyalty, is taking financial advantage of innovative, free-thinking "Metro" America. Retro states, they claim, disproportionately control the federal government and claim an unfair share of taxpayer-funded handouts."
"The Republicans have been brilliant; they have fantastic discipline, and they have an absolutely dog-loyal base that will vote for them no matter what happens. So they only have to add on the margins to win. The Democrats, at this point, they don?t really have a base anymore. They need to target their message like the Republicans do, so they solidify their constituency. If they do that, the numbers are on their side."
Hmmm.... Now where have we seen this trend before? Looks familiar, doesn't it?
After you read the interview, go back and imagine that the author is talking about Kuwait and replace the word "Republicans" with "Islamists", and then replace the word "Democrats" with "Kuwaiti Liberals"
And there, in a nutshell, is the problem facing progressive and liberal forces (if you can even call them that) in Kuwait: The lack of a clear message, and the lack of any grass-roots organization.
The Islamists only have to put the fear of God into the people to get them to follow like sheep and vote for them. What do the Liberals have to offer? A better Kuwait? Does anyone really care about a better Kuwait if the Islamists say we're all going to burn in hell anyway?!
7 Comments:
A great divide indeed, personally I'm an in betweener but if I had to choose between the appropriately called "forces of darkness" (cuz they use Islam politically which is not min il sinnah BTW) or liberals (what I gather..... according to your blog posts, too culturally imperialized by the west....and in danger of turning us into a tiny US state)
I would probably chose the safest, i.e. the "forces of darkness".
Why? because I don't think having concerts as an important thing to complain about, or what a great thing to have female athletes in Athens, the fact that alcohol is prohibited and many Q80s drink more than other Gulf countries that allow alcohol makes it an OK reason to allow alcohol?
Don't get me wrong change is good but according to OUR religion AND culture not anyone elses standards. That's why I hope this devide comes in equal portions, that way we get the best of both worlds.
A very rosey outlook don't u think?
Peace
23/8/04 10:52 PM
It makes sense, republicans or islamists have "the belief" in common. The belief, which they use as a firm basis to start from. Democrats or liberals are spread out and cannot come with one base to start with, not even one thought, and that is why they will never amount for anything useful. The left can attack the right but the right will always win and we know it deep inside us, because it has bigger teeth, bigger money, bigger nails and bigger balls.
To win, or defeat the right, one has to get them where it hurts. The same applies for the left, they defeat the left by holding people from their balls and squeezing them hard. Notice that I refer to males only here, you know why? The right only sees males. The right is based on testosrone (if you are a female polish weight lifter at Athens, you would have that too.)
Logic will not win this battle, it is won by the law of the jungle, that is the doctrine of the 21th century or any century for that matter. It is a waste of energy to huff and puff without physical action. It is a waste of time to throw imaginary mud on the right from 100,000 km away, that will never do anything, they can handle it.
The right always values family, tradition, a certain manner of life, which they will never give up, "right"-fully so. They got it with the sweat of their hands, backs, legs, and blood. They got it by force and they will never give it up, no Sire, not in a million years.
If you want to defeat the right in any country, the left must step first into hell, and let others follow. Light the fire and throw yourself in it. Make it bigger and bigger, let them see how determined you are to crush others. They will sacrifice themselves for what they believe, so is the left prepared? no.
I am not a liberal nor a conservative, and I sure am not in the middle (that is called being chicken). I am indifferent regarding the situation in any country, I am interested in seeing how people react, behave and try to get the edge over each other. The desire to live, make a future, be all you can be, etc.
The real divide is what humans have made of their existence, then again, maybe it was their destiny?
23/8/04 11:52 PM
Yellow..
Does anyone really know what our standards are anymore? Do the forces of darkness represent true and pure Islam. I don't think so!
As for my being liberal, please go back and read my definitions HERE
24/8/04 12:20 PM
Yellow brick road wrote: "change is good but according to OUR religion AND culture not anyone elses standards"
What is OUR religion and Cluture? please elaborate
Is our religion Islam according to the Salaf teachings or Islamic brotherhood rules or Wahabis and Talibans standards or Al-sistani Shia or Khomenei Shia or Hozballah shia . each and every "version" of islam has its own unique rules - rituals-practices. Every Islamic Sect I mentioned has its base here in little ol' Q8. And you better specify very clearly what kind of OUR religion you are talking about if you are going to open that "can" here.
And as for culture you have to explain whose culture is it, We all migrated to this dry peiece of land at one time, no one grew as a cactus or has real roots here. "OUR culture" is a mix of Beduin, persian,indian,east African,Turkish ones. From language, food, to customs and hand-gesture insults, everything is imported. and you can never talk about culture in a culture-less place like ours.
You might feel safer being part of the herd lead by Bin laden and his embassadors here, but you shouldnt expect people who dont share YOUR religion or YOUR culture to keep quite about it while thier life-styles are threatened.
24/8/04 2:38 PM
Perhaps MadM2000 means we're culture-less NOWKuwait is a melting pot, much like the USA, and over the years we have developed our own unique lively cutlure, our own music, literature, and arts. The 1960's and 1970's were the heyday of Kuwait's arts scene, as evidenced by the many classic songs and theatre productions that still resonate to this day.
But where is all that now? Does anyone remember any decent theatre from the 1990s? Didn't think so..
And yes, this is where I will point out that the decline in Kuwaiti culture coincided with the general decline of Kuwait as a whole since the Islamists came to power, because according to them "culture" is حرام
24/8/04 3:08 PM
Zaydoun,
As I've said before "the appropriately called "forces of darkness" politicize Islam which is NOT according to the sunnat il rasool (PBUH). I DID read your definition of "liberal" and I'm all for change and all, but according to your blogs/posts which complain about why the forces of darkness are going to deprive us of our concerts, female athletes, theatre, how we want backpackers to make us a cool country, and the list goes on... My point is that I don't see how these things will make us better, there are more important things to make us a great country and improve without emulating the west in what IT considers cool. Such as having a non-oil-based economy, scientific achievements, etc. u get the drift, which we used to have once upon a time when WE were the super power on this earth.
I hope u take this critique on your blog as a compliment since it shows I've been reading your posts for a while (in spite of not agreeing to all u say).
MadM 2000,
The groups/sects you've mentioned MOSTLY are political islam which again -> is NOT according to the sunnat il rasool (PBUH). I'm not defending them, I repeat not defending them. Religious ignorance is our main problem here (don't misunderstand that for being patronizing).
I'm just saying If I had a choice between the two evils I wouldn't go liberal.
oh and the cultureless thing = Not true
Allah iyahdeenee o iyhadeekom
25/8/04 1:42 AM
Yellow..
I truly appreciate your comments. This is an open forum and we don't have to agree with each other on everything.
When I talk about backpackers, concerts, female athletes etc. it is mostly because these are such trivial matters elsewhere that they don't even come up in conversation, or as subjects to be discusse in parliament. They are harmless issues that, if we do have them, will not unravel our precious society or "corrupt our youth". You mentioned that we should focus on having a non-oil-based economy, scientific achievements etc. I fully agree, but please tell that to the Islamists who are not concerned with any of that and instead waste valuable time screaming about trivial matters.
It's not a matter of emulating the Western world either, go East or anywhere around the Arab world (except Saudi Arabia of course) and you will find the same thing. The issue is CHOICE.. the choice to be as religious or as liberal as one wants.
You are a conservative person, would you like it if we turned into Las Vegas? Of course not and that's not what most of us are advocating. But I worry that Kuwait is a few steps away from becoming Riyadh, if the Islamists have their way.
And surely you could've detected some light sarcasm in my posts? :-)
25/8/04 11:20 AM
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