The Aftermath Of US Intervention: What The "Arab Spring" Looks Like 5 Years Later

Tyler Durden's picture




 

If you needed a crash course in how not to conduct foreign policy, you need only take a cursory glance at Washington’s trials and travails in the Mid-East over the last decade.

On the way to documenting the the carnage unfolding in Libya’s oil crescent last week we said that the country, much like Syria, is a case study in why the West would be better off not intervening in the affairs of sovereign states on the way to bringing about regime change. “Toppling dictators” sounds good in principle, but at the end of the day, it’s nearly impossible to predict what will emerge from the power vacuums the US creates when Washington destabilizes governments.

Post-Baathist Iraq is rife with sectarian discord, a post-Assad Syria would likely be an even bloodier free-for-all than it already is, and post-Gaddafi Libya is a failed state with two governments each claiming legitimacy. These types of environments are exploitable by extremists eager to capitalize on the chaos by seizing resources and, ultimately, power.

It’s in that context that we present the following graphic from The Economist which vividly demonstrates the fact that the Arab Spring was but a false dawn and that five years on, we still have but one democracy among a sea of autocracies and failed states.

By the way, the one “democracy” success story in Tunisia is exceptionally tenuous as evidenced by November's suicide attack in the capital.

4.166665
Your rating: None Average: 4.2 (6 votes)
 

- advertisements -

Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.
Wed, 01/13/2016 - 17:31 | 7042688 HedgeAccordingly
HedgeAccordingly's picture

Well. One thing not mentioned. Instead of oil prices climbing, they have fell in the face of tensions and instability.

http://hedgeaccordingly.com/2015/12/the-middle-east-in-2015-was-like-a-t...

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 17:48 | 7042773 greenskeeper carl
greenskeeper carl's picture

All according to plan, I suppose. Hard to believe that after doing it once and seeing the results, we would think it would work out better in other MENA countries if we did it again, so if "we are just really stupid" is out, that just leaves....

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 17:52 | 7042780 Jurgster
Jurgster's picture

The truth of our warmongering and the Arab Srring in the Middle East >> http://wp.me/p4OZ4v-2g9

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 18:07 | 7042839 two hoots
two hoots's picture

Soft Power

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 19:56 | 7043070 Urban Roman
Wed, 01/13/2016 - 20:00 | 7043481 FatTony7915726
FatTony7915726's picture

There would have never been an arab spring if Hitler would have won the war!  There would be a worldwide arab pork eating contest!  An arab holiday for those still alive!

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 17:52 | 7042785 MrNosey
MrNosey's picture

Now 'Radical' Islam is the biggest threat to world peace......


http://beforeitsnews.com/global-unrest/2016/01/the-lion-is-it-time-to-fi...

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 19:21 | 7043260 Marco
Marco's picture

Israel on the other hand has never been safer and can drill for oil in the Golan without any trouble.

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 19:27 | 7043288 Demdere
Demdere's picture

You can't possibly be real.  We don't do simple very well here.

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 18:08 | 7042844 Canadian Dirtlump
Canadian Dirtlump's picture

I don't know what kind of flared asshole considers syria and yemen "civil wars." MOre like attempted foreign insurrections in progress. Hey check our chart out, it ALMOST tells the truth.

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 17:29 | 7042691 Mark Mywords
Mark Mywords's picture

Exceptional.

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 18:12 | 7042868 Bangin7GramRocks
Bangin7GramRocks's picture

Oops.

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 19:00 | 7043101 The Saint
The Saint's picture

Maybe it'll work out when the nukes start going off.

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 17:30 | 7042698 khnum
khnum's picture

Hillarys watch included Libya and Syria shes allready been in charge of two countries fates do we risk a third the USA?

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 17:40 | 7042737 Xibalba
Xibalba's picture

smh..and people say she's got no legacy

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 19:12 | 7043198 sgt_doom
sgt_doom's picture

And do not forget her position on the MCC, from which money flowed to finance the overthrow of President Zelaya of Honduras, and subsequently Honduran child refugees flooding across the US southern border (from criminal free-for-alls in Honduras).

Actions have consequences. . . .

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 20:23 | 7043590 NoVa
NoVa's picture

I did not know about Honduras.

Our US immigration problem know makes total sense.

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 19:37 | 7043345 noless
noless's picture

Hillary is going to do at least two terms, it seems like someone just reminded trump whose in control of the situation, could be wrong, always am, but that's my feel on it.

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 20:25 | 7043599 NoVa
NoVa's picture

2 terms?  How about Levanworth for life & then Dantes 10th circle of Hell?

10th circle of hell is all of the prior 9 combined - 

 

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 20:39 | 7043646 noless
noless's picture

The only thing that's swayed me from my hillary call over the past like 6 years was trump fucking up the Republicans, but if he's going to openly endorse federal farm subsidies then that bets off, shit is the cornerstone of corporate welfare and international market manipulation.

If bill beat charges of lying to Congress or whatever because of a fucking dress then Hillary isn't going down for anything.

Shits done. Educate the younger generation and hope their grandkids ride it out

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 17:39 | 7042727 nmewn
nmewn's picture

"Good job Brownie."

How's bout another speech!  ;-)

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 17:40 | 7042731 Nothingman
Nothingman's picture

I think this foreign policy has achieved its true purpose; to destabilize the muslim world, facilitating the islamization of Europe through mass immigration.  All the dead bodies?  Collateral damage.

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 17:42 | 7042744 CheapBastard
CheapBastard's picture

A good portion of the muslim refugee world is now in Europe and North America. Saudis, Israelis and even the Mexicans won't have them.

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 19:14 | 7043215 sgt_doom
sgt_doom's picture

Well, now any number of reported instances of attacks on women combining both assaults and rapes in Hungary, Germany Austria, Switzerland, Sweden and Finland --- nothing from Denmark and Poland, but those two countries have refused entrance to Syrian refugees?

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 17:49 | 7042751 thisguyoverhere
thisguyoverhere's picture

Yep its a cynical game of mass murder to fuel mass migrations.

And when questioned, they'll try to shame you, "How unAmerican, don't you support our fighting men and women? Don't you want to be SAFE?"

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 19:32 | 7043303 Demdere
Demdere's picture

You were right up to the "facilitating the Islamization of Europe".  That was a result of ISIS driving people out of Syria and the oher countries, and then our Israeli-Neocon deepstate directing them into whatever country needs distracted and punished and set up for more internal opposition.

If any country is allowed to oppose Israeli-Neocons, they hang for their many crimes.

But no country is going to be Islamacized, that is never voted into power even in the ME.

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 17:40 | 7042733 venturen
venturen's picture

could you include how many have died because of Obama hillary's failure. 

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 17:46 | 7042763 thisguyoverhere
thisguyoverhere's picture

We are ruled by sociopaths and psychopaths

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 18:09 | 7042851 two hoots
two hoots's picture

not a 'path I like taking.

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 17:42 | 7042740 thisguyoverhere
thisguyoverhere's picture

The Economist = BaNksTEr mouthpiece journalism

Yeah these are all just "unintended consequences, " poor international policy. WHo'D Thunk It

It would have worked if it hadn't been for that Republican congress. Those guys just can't get along with anybody. SARC

Seriously it all looks like a giant cauldron of ritualistic murder . What a legacy. USA USA USA

And most of the world actually blames the US public, as if their voices ever mattered.

All this death for what??

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 17:45 | 7042753 Cognitive Dissonance
Cognitive Dissonance's picture

“Toppling dictators” sounds good in principle, but at the end of the day, it’s nearly impossible to predict what will emerge from the power vacuums the US creates when Washington destabilizes governments.

If you can't have a friendly bought-and-paid-for dictator running the country, the next best thing is to have choas rule the roost. If "We the Crony Capitialist" can't have it, nobody can.

<Sooner or later they are going to rebuild. Can you say Bechtel?>

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 17:52 | 7042783 Bay Area Guy
Bay Area Guy's picture

Given the case studies cited in the article, I'd say chaos is the most likely result of toppling dictators in nations where numerous sects want to annihilate each other. But I'm just a old math major.....what do I know?

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 19:16 | 7043232 sgt_doom
sgt_doom's picture

As one math major to another, I think the REAL STORY today is why the Wall Street-owned US government is so supportive of the strategy and agenda of Saudi Arabia to depopulate the Mideast of every non-Sunni person there (Christians, Shi'a, Ibadi, etc., etc.).

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 17:51 | 7042777 Thisisbullishright
Thisisbullishright's picture

All going EXACTLY as planned....

 

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 17:54 | 7042787 Baron Munchausen
Baron Munchausen's picture

The economist is to global affairs journalism what Fox News is to news.

Worthless as analysis, of some worth in deciding which lies The City is most eager to promote.

Curious, them leaving out the genuine protests in Bahrain, Saudi and Jordan which were put down mercilessly.

'The arab spring' was hijacked early on by above the law elements of your friendly neighborhood cia... Where legit, it was crushed... Of course the economist still has russia 'invading' crimea and acting aggressively in the face of 20 years of nato expansion and imf-riot engendering coups that have fuck all to do with peace or democracy.

Getting people to believe this shit must be easy in a country where over half the population think a supreme being wrote an internally inconsistent, ahistorical book. 14 or so years after Iraq and Plame and the dodgy dossier and after multiple agency assessments about the lies used to engender the long-desired iraq war, youd expect peole to be more deliberate and skeptical... But apparently this expectatin is ill-foundded given the fact there are no angry mobs outside the congress, white house, or new york times.

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 18:12 | 7042856 thisguyoverhere
thisguyoverhere's picture

Say what you will, "Baron", but the Christian Civilization has had more contributions to art, science, philosophy and engineering in this Epoch than any other group.

To place blame on a religion is a bit intellectually lazy, "Baron" it comes to education and critical thinking. You are spot on about the Economist and "The City" though.

Any way you slice it its a tragedy, though I really wouldn't call the modern narcissistic Churchianity Christian. Christianity had to be undermined so that its message of freedom, free will and true spirituality would not eclipse the "slave master" model.

In that vein the religion has served as intellectual chains. Hmm perhaps we are of the same mind on this .

I thought CS Lewis was spot on in "Mere Christianity".

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 18:39 | 7042970 Baron Munchausen
Baron Munchausen's picture

Dogmatic religion presupposes stupidity and a distinct lack of critical thinking.

Cs lewis did no such thing. He decided that irrationality and wish-thinking was no reason not to celebrate 'faith' by conflating belief as such with knowledge as such.

Of course, for lewis, it also had to be the 'right' faith, This "Guy"...

And how did he know his obscurantist sun god cult faith was 'right?'

Why, all proven with a little 'faith.'

This is the reasoning of incorrigible morons, and they should be defenestrated upon site, wherever found.

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 17:54 | 7042788 Crtrvlt
Crtrvlt's picture

iraq isn't a failed state?

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 17:54 | 7042790 Crtrvlt
Crtrvlt's picture

iraq isn't a failed state?

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 17:55 | 7042793 I am Jobe
I am Jobe's picture

Kinda like American Mariages after a few years divorce and ugly crap all around. Yay America is great

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 17:57 | 7042802 alexcojones
alexcojones's picture

Was that quote "Five countries in 7 years," or was it "7 countries in five years?"

And was America included as one of the countries to Fall?

Neocon enabler Wesley Clark:

“We're going to take out 7 countries in 5 years:
Wed, 01/13/2016 - 17:59 | 7042804 Niall Of The Ni...
Niall Of The Nine Hostages's picture

Israel doesn't count as a democracy, much less the only democracy worthy of the name in the Middle East. It's "non-Arab," you see.

Not as if the Economist will ever admit Israel is the only stable and civilized country in the region precisely because it's not run by Arabs. It might rise embarrassing questions---such as why Europe is importing Arabs while Israel has been fencing Arabs in to make sure they stay on their reservations.

(Possibly because Israel knows something about Arabs Europeans don't know, and Europe's elites don't want known.)

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 18:09 | 7042853 ali_baba
ali_baba's picture

Only good thing about israel is that those juws arent here. All in one place.... Surrounded by pissed off arabs...... Of course, they are your semitic brothers.

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 18:00 | 7042813 DaNuts
DaNuts's picture

Can we have a map of Europe now? Green all over, perhaps a little bit of yellow around Greece.

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 18:07 | 7042838 Baron Munchausen
Baron Munchausen's picture

Chaos and destruction is precisely the intent of us (ie Israeli/MIC/banker) policy. You dont arm takfiri psychos where you intend to build either pipelines or democracy.

Cui bono?

http://leaksource.info/2015/01/17/the-yinon-plan-greater-israel-syria-ir...

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 18:09 | 7042845 RagnarRedux
RagnarRedux's picture
A Strategy for Israel in the Nineteen Eighties

by Oded Yinon, translated by Israel Shahak | KIVUNIM / Palestine with Provenance | February 1982

"The dissolution of Syria and Iraq later on into ethnically or religiously unqiue areas such as in Lebanon, is Israel's primary target on the Eastern front in the long run, while the dissolution of the military power of those states serves as the primary short term target. Syria will fall apart, in accordance with its ethnic and religious structure, into several states such as in present day Lebanon, so that there will be a Shi'ite Alawi state along its coast, a Sunni state in the Aleppo area, another Sunni state in Damascus hostile to its northern neighbor, and the Druzes who will set up a state, maybe even in our Golan, and certainly in the Hauran and in northern Jordan. This state of affairs will be the guarantee for peace and security in the area in the long run, and that aim is already within our reach today."

"Iraq, rich in oil on the one hand and internally torn on the other, is guaranteed as a candidate for Israel's targets. Its dissolution is even more important for us than that of Syria. Iraq is stronger than Syria. In the short run it is Iraqi power which constitutes the greatest threat to Israel. An Iraqi-Iranian war will tear Iraq apart and cause its downfall at home even before it is able to organize a struggle on a wide front against us. Every kind of inter-Arab confrontation will assist us in the short run and will shorten the way to the more important aim of breaking up Iraq into denominations as in Syria and in Lebanon. In Iraq, a division into provinces along ethnic/religious lines as in Syria during Ottoman times is possible. So, three (or more) states will exist around the three major cities: Basra, Baghdad and Mosul, and Shi'ite areas in the south will separate from the Sunni and Kurdish north. It is possible that the present Iranian-Iraqi confrontation will deepen this polarization."

http://www.monabaker.com/pMachine/more.php?id=A2298_0_1_0_M

Eretz Israel: Future Map Of Israel

http://www.ahavat-israel.com/eretz/future

The Ethnic Clique That Sold Us The Iraq War

http://zfacts.com/node/297

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 18:26 | 7042912 thisguyoverhere
thisguyoverhere's picture

Theres the blueprint right before your eyes folks.

Every American who has lost a loved one "serving in the millitary" should read the Yinon Plan.

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 21:45 | 7043979 Sanity Bear
Sanity Bear's picture

1980s... and zero progress has been made towards it in all this time. Monster-in-the-closet boogeyman stuff.

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 18:27 | 7042917 insanelysane
insanelysane's picture

If you keep shaking the dice, at some point you get Yahtzee.

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 18:30 | 7042934 JailBanksters
JailBanksters's picture

I wondered what it would look like nobody in those countries had any oil ?

Probably not worth Invading for a Regime Change, right ?

Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site!