REUTERS PHOTO – A man looks at Jerusalem city through binoculars on the Syagha-Madaba city mountains, 30km southwest of the capital Amman, October 23, 2009, during a trip organized by the Jordanians Engineers Association. The “Return Journey to Al-Aqsa” trip, in which engineers and their families gathered at the heights of Syagha to look down at the city of Jerusalem and the al-Aqsa mosque, is to show solidarity with Palestinians involved in clashes with Israeli police at the al-Aqsa mosque in September.
I often wonder if the reason professional associations and unions in Jordan remain highly politicized is because the state has done a wonderful job at suppressing civil society in the political sense. Then again, allowing political groups to flourish in order to dilute the political powers of associations would be a lose-lose situation for the state. It’s just easier to keep everything suppressed.
To keep the public from becoming engaged in policy making you need to keep most of them viewing Jordan as “ard 7ashd wa reba6”.
semi-democratic egg shell
The fate of liberalizing autocracies – it’s all a survival strategy. Open up a little bit – initiate some liberalizing reforms and make it look like you are actually are moving towards democracy and that you want the people to decide for themselves – then you will please the people and the foreign powers and prevent uprising. But always keep everything under strict control, ready to move in and de-liberalize if anything should potentially threaten the state power. Perfect solution – I wonder if Jordan will ever get out of this cycle of liberalizing and de-liberalizing?
“because the state has done a wonderful job at suppressing civil society in the political sense. T”
Well, yeah, Jordan was an Imperial British creation in the first place, the imposition of a foreign Arab over a native population. Suppressing civil society has been the Husseins’ job since Day One, lest the natives (those remaining after Transjordan’s Jews were kicked out) revolted against their foreign master.
You using the term “foreign Arab” in the historical context of the 1910-1920s when the Arab Revolt happened and Pan-Arabism was at its peak is the equivalent of one using the “N” word to describe the American president today.
On a side note, I am genuinely interested in learning about Jordan’s Jews who were kicked out. Can you point me to sources of information about them?
To Solomon2,
I am not sure where did you get such impression. Historically all Arabia was supposed to be under the leadership of the Hashemites. That includes Syria, Iraq, K.S.A, and Jordan. What I know is that various groups and tribes sent their delegates to Shareef Husein asking him to take that role. If you can point any sources supporting your claims I would be delighted to read them. That been said, there are no records that I know of stating any Jewish existence in modern Jordan. They hardly had few families even in Palestine back in 1800’s according to various western visitors (Mark Twain for instance).
Did anyone notice the “MADE IN RUSSIA” on the binoculars?
That is honestly the first thing I ever see in my life that is made in Russia, not counting nuclear warheads that might have appeared in cold-war era Hollywood movies 😀
Keep the sheep happy … for they don’t feel that they belong to their country, they feel they have more of an attachment to a country they have never known. I just wish people would stop being so delusional and for certain people to realize that this is no longer a stepping stone, your roots are pretty damn deep already for you to just be able to up and leave.
2 Hamzeh N.
You forgot the “Lada” dude:
Revelation, oh my God you’re right!! How could I have forgotten?
I think I was just thinking of the actual words “Made in Russia.” I just never came across those words before even though I have come across Lada cars in Jordan.
Funny video btw.