Commentary
Amr Hamzawy
{
"authors": [
"Amr Hamzawy"
],
"type": "legacyinthemedia",
"centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
"centers": [
"Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
],
"collections": [],
"englishNewsletterAll": "menaTransitions",
"nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
"primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
"programAffiliation": "MEP",
"programs": [
"Middle East"
],
"projects": [],
"regions": [
"Middle East"
],
"topics": [
"Economy"
]
}
Source: Getty
In The Media
Rough Deal
In today's world, one detects a growing tension between governments and nations. The democracies of Europe and North America are faltering on their commitments to their people; namely, on the social contract inherent in the modern state. These governments were supposed to safeguard the free economy, social justice, and civil and political liberties. Not anymore.
By Amr Hamzawy
Published on May 23, 2008
Source: Al Ahram Weekly
Wherever we look, we see a growing gap between the rich and the poor. In the US, less than 10 per cent of Americans own more than 70 per cent of the nation's wealth. And the Bush administration has encroached upon civil and political liberties and made a mockery of the traditional system of checks and balances. Now the US is in the middle of a recession triggered by military misadventure in Iraq. No wonder, then, that most Americans have lost faith in the country's institutions and politics.
In Europe, the encroachment on political rights may be less, but the gap between rich and poor is just as bad. Since Margaret Thatcher dismantled the welfare state in the UK (1979-1990), other governments in Germany, France, Italy and Spain have followed suit. In Germany, the middle class dwindled from 62 per cent of the population in 2000 to 54 per cent in 2006. Almost 12 per cent of Germans, 17 per cent of Britons and 18 per cent of Italians now live in near poverty.
In other parts of the world, where democracy never took root to start with, things are worse. In countries such as China, Russia, Iran, Egypt, Morocco and Venezuela, political rights are sketchy at best. China's communist government crushed demonstrators in Tiananmen in 1989. The Russian government is not listening to those who question Putin's power, so the man who was president is going to be prime minister. Egypt, for its part, gets short-tempered whenever demonstrators take to the street to voice economic and other grievances.
Only in the Gulf can governments keep their citizens happy. That's done by using oil revenue to provide various public services. But how long can a country live on oil alone? And how long can one tribe or clique monopolise power to the exclusion of others? We need governments that care for all, not the few. In brief, we need a new social contract.
About the Author
Amr Hamzawy
Director, Middle East Program
Amr Hamzawy is a senior fellow and the director of the Carnegie Middle East Program. His research and writings focus on governance in the Middle East and North Africa, social vulnerability, and the different roles of governments and civil societies in the region.
- Iran Is Pushing Its Neighbors Toward the United States
- U.S. Peace Mediation in the Middle East: Lessons for the Gaza Peace PlanPaper
Amr Hamzawy, Sarah Yerkes, Kathryn Selfe
Recent Work
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
More Work from Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center
- Once Neutral on the Ukraine War, Arab States Increasingly Favor MoscowCommentary
Disillusioned with the West over Gaza, Arab countries are not only trading more with Russia; they are also more willing to criticize Kyiv.
Ruslan Suleymanov
- Does Russia Have Enough Soldiers to Keep Waging War Against Ukraine?Commentary
The Russian army is not currently struggling to recruit new contract soldiers, though the number of people willing to go to war for money is dwindling.
Dmitry Kuznets
- Baku Proceeds With Caution as Ethnic Azeris Join Protests in Neighboring IranCommentary
Baku may allow radical nationalists to publicly discuss “reunification” with Azeri Iranians, but the president and key officials prefer not to comment publicly on the protests in Iran.
Bashir Kitachaev
- What Russia Will—and Won’t—Do for Its Embattled Ally IranCommentary
It’s one thing to export Russian helicopters to Iran to fight the insurgency, and it’s easy to imagine Moscow becoming a haven for fleeing Iranian leaders. But it’s very difficult to imagine Russian troops defending the Iranian regime on the ground.
Nikita Smagin
- Including Russia on the EU Financial Blacklist Will Hurt Ordinary People, Not the KremlinCommentary
The paradox of the European Commission’s decision is that the main victims will not be those it formally targets. Major Russian businesses associated with the Putin regime have long adapted to sanctions with the help of complex schemes involving third countries, offshore companies, and nonpublic entities.
Alexandra Prokopenko
