Re: First Post

Referencing the Bellin reading, resistance to democracy in the MENA region is because the region lacks the perquisites that would allow countries to achieve democracy (Bellin 24). Some causes of the resistance include a weak civil society, low literary, low per capita income, and distance from the democratic epicenter (Bellin 2005: 24). Bellin explains the lack of uprisings that took place in Egypt and Tunisia prior to 2011 due to the “repression of civil society” and the will of the state to smash any uprisings (Bellin 2005:30). The fear of military suppression towards protesters may have also played a role in discouraging “democratic forces” (Bellin 2005:). Bellin would argue that the events in Egypt and Tunisia during 2011 transpired because the state lacked the will to put out the “democratic forces”. Since the heads of state in both countries rely heavily on the military and security to keep their power, the lack of intent to use military force would have made a vacuum where democratic forces could take back the power. All this would lead to the potential for a democracy to arise in a country. However, Egypt, unlike Tunisia, was unable to continue towards democracy which can be explained through dependency on the state for the people’s livelihoods and continued institutionalization of the government. I think it is fair to say that civil society in the region has been ineffective in trying to bring democracy. However, I think state influence on civil society has furthered the ineffectiveness of civil society in the region. State controlled economies, military and security, and patrimonialism all affect the way civil society operates and the state of civil society. Saying that civil society itself is weak in the region may be debatable, but the ineffectiveness of civil society in the region due to the specific state’s influence isn’t quite as debatable.