Madmen at the Helm
Subtitle: Pathology and Politics in the Arab Spring
Publisher: Ithaca Press
Published: 2012
Language: eng
Number of pages: 256
ISBN-13: 9780863724541
Subjects: Democracy; Arab countries, politics and government
Description: A watershed in Arab history, the Arab spring gave young protesters the impetus to challenge established and entrenched dictatorial regimes for the first time, and to demand representative government. Mirak-Weissbach examines the public statements, speeches, interviews and courses of actions of the five leaders in response to these challenges, and identifies patterns and similarities of behaviour. She then argues that their responses illustrate their psychological inability to face reality, and their determination to cling fanatically to power in the face of revolt.