Neoliberalism lurking in the Middle East – IRNA
As a result of the ignorance of some local rulers in the Middle East countries and the demagogic policies of the colonialists with tricks such as; Helping vulnerable groups, eradicating poverty, improving people’s living conditions, making financial promises and political conspiracies, today, more than ever before, colonialist countries seek to organize their power and influence and expand the capitalist system and neoliberal programs in the Middle East. . Despite the tensions and movements in countries such as; Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Palestine, Syria and Lebanon have always continued, but the colonial countries have repeatedly sought to consolidate their power in the region under the pretext of boosting the economy and eliminating poverty and fair distribution of resources.
Adam Haniyeh in the bookdescentThe reader has been informed that the countries of the Persian Gulf region and the Middle East as a whole should not shift their attention from the political economy of the region to marginal issues such as poverty and inequality, because these issues are affected by the capitalist economic system and neoliberal countries. who have always sought to expand neoliberal political economy and demagogue people in the region throughout history.
We must know that today’s capitalism has created a new form of historical colonialism under the name of neoliberalism in a new way and with the support of native rulers in the Middle East region.
Neoliberalism in the region does not need nation-states to advance its goals, but it is enough to advance its interests by creating pro-supporting classes, and under the pretext of helping and spreading justice in the region, it consolidates its dominance and power and fishes out of muddy water. .
From Haniyeh’s point of view, Western governments and the dominant capitalist system seek to divide and control the world market and concentrate power and wealth in the Middle East and depend more and more Middle Eastern countries. Today, imperialism is the main theme of the region’s political economy, and Western countries, especially the United States, seek to stabilize their power and prevent other competitors from gaining power due to the hydrocarbon position of the Middle East.
This expansion and reproduction of domination and expansion of imperialism and neoliberal system in the region has major and essential features:
1. The European Union and the member countries of the European and Mediterranean Pact, especially the North African countries, have brought them closer and have created a kind of production and commercial dependence in the North African countries.
2. America’s privileged relations in the region through its two communication bridges, namely; Israel and Saudi Arabia have caused the United States to use these two countries as a tool for its dominance in the region, allowing Saudi Arabia to control the huge hydrocarbon resources in the region and industrial exports to Israel. has promised advanced and these financial and military aid has doubled the dependence of these countries on the colonialists.
3. Today, the colonialist countries are trying to use the ignorant governments of the region as a tool to drag other countries of the region into their hegemony. For example, countries such as Jordan and Egypt have signed a contract with a country such as Israel by opening qualified industrial zones.
4. Neoliberal reforms in the region were the product of Europe and America. This has fueled the intensification of hierarchical relations within the region, which has apparently strengthened the position of the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf, especially Saudi Arabia and North Africa. However, the work caused some countries in the region to be contaminated by the ominous policies of the Westerners, and cluster and industrial companies were tied to the local capitalist classes, and the low-income strata (such as villagers) became weaker, and the agricultural resources were privatized and they were unable to provide resources such as water, and finally Lands will be handed over to rich minorities (tools of Westerners) and land ownership will be taken away from them.
5. The last important pillar of the neoliberal package is the development and reconstruction of financial markets, which emphasizes important principles, including; Removal of government influence on credit allocation and lending, opening of the banking portal to support foreign competition, privatization of state banks, introduction of non-bank financial markets such as bonds, insurance, mortgages and stocks, privatization of government services, removal of labor market laws, tendency Towards a free market and a liberal commercial economy, making governments dependent through livelihood packages such as lending to them.
6. Consequences of these programs and policies; Lack of job security, unemployment, dismissal of the workforce, lack of labor laws, hard work, lack of overtime, the series of game rulers, job instability, economic crises, reduction of people’s expenses, unemployment among graduates, especially women, increase in informal jobs, increase Poverty, the limited economic growth of the region, the widening of the class divide, and ultimately bringing the entire existence of social and economic life under the banner of the private and capitalist system, and taking wealth from the hands of the empty hands, and the radical reconstruction of the capitalist and neoliberal system, and the recruitment of the workforce. It will become cheap and the domestic production of the countries of the region will decline.
Approach
Today, the countries of the region need a pan-regional struggle more than ever, and this will be realized when there is a form of leadership and organization and a type of political action is formed that is in line with the interests of the people and countries of the region and in conflict with Western countries.
Today, more than ever, we need even unorganized movements against colonialist countries in the Middle East region, followed by the formation of labor committees and labor unions, sit-ins and national strikes, street protests, and the creation of political networks from all walks of life against any Western and colonial influence can lead the way.
Informing regional countries and people about wrong policies and demagoguery and the dominance of imperialism with tricks like; Helping the nations and people of the region and then privatizing services and expanding one’s dominion and influence using tools such as native and local rulers and the countries of the Persian Gulf can be a way forward.