[akv]

"Let Them Eat Cake?"

Originally Posted by STRATFOR Link post #26

Governments in the region fear that such a dramatic act of suicide attempted in so public a fashion — with “new media” forums such as blogs, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube ready to spread the word in a way that can’t be done when state media is all that exists — could trigger a similar event in another country. These governments are searching for ways to pre-emptively appease their constituencies by offering economic aid packages and modest openings of political space. In the three days since the fall of former Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, there have been multiple examples of such concessions. 


In Kuwait, Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah decreed that every Kuwaiti citizen receive a one-time payment of KD 1,000 (roughly $3,558), plus free food rations for 13 months beginning in February. Officially, the gifts are being made in coordination with the fifth anniversary of al-Sabah’s rule.

In Syria, state media reported a government plan worth $250 million to help 420,000 impoverished families. Cash loans will be distributed to Syrian citizens who qualify for the aid beginning in February.

In Egypt, the managing editor of the ruling National Democratic Party’s (NDP) website wrote an article declaring that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak does not want poor people to pay new taxes or carry any additional burdens, and NDP officials have been tasked with determining a way to implement this directive throughout the year. In addition, the Egyptian Cabinet announced that it has drafted a law that sets 2017 as the deadline for political parties represented in parliament to field presidential candidates.

In Sudan (the northern, Arab region), the governor of Khartoum state announced measures designed to soften the blow of recent price hikes on commodities such as cooking oil and sugar. Free school meals and health insurance cards will be distributed to 30,000 students and their families.

This is a trend that will likely continue in the coming weeks and months, as world food prices remain high and global economic growth tepid. Arab countries that don’t have the oil wealth of the Persian Gulf states are constrained economically from being able to spend much on social development, but they will seek ways to do so nonetheless, in efforts to garner good faith among those they see as most likely to revolt. Granting additional freedoms to populations used to living under an autocratic society is historically much more dangerous for the ruling regime, but depending on each country’s circumstances, these various Arab governments may one day not have much of a choice. One thing is certain: No Arab ruler wants a citizen to light himself on fire on a busy city street, for fear of the possible side effects.