Hypocrisy Rhymes with Democracy

Abstract

Adelaide Festival of Ideas session, Bonython Hall, 1:00pm, Saturday 8th October, 2011. Chaired by Andrew Jaspan. The Arab Spring has unleashed the hunger for freedom and democracy of Arab populations living under dictatorship. As Egypt, Tunisia and Yemen come to terms with their post-dictator future, and serious western intervention in Libya creates a stalemate, in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia profoundly un-democratic and repressive regimes endure with western connivance, and brutal repression in Syria is met to date with tokenistic sanctions. If Saudi Arabia’s oil makes our support for freedom and democracy melt away, does this mean the West can’t afford to prefer Arab democrats to Arab dictators?