Arab Spring, Libyan Winter

by Vijay Prashad

The Arab Spring captivated the planet. Mass action overthrew Tunisia’s Ben Ali and Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak. The revolutionary wave spread to the far corners of the Arab world, from Morocco to Bahrain. It seemed as if all the authoritarian states would finally be freed, even those of the Arabian Peninsula. People’s power had produced this wave, and continued to ride it out.

In Libya, though, the new world order had different ideas. Social forces opposed to Muammar Qaddafi had begun to rebel, but they were weak. In came the French and the United States, with promises of glory. A deal followed with the Saudis, who then sent in their own forces to cut down the Bahraini revolution, and NATO began its assault, ushering in a Libyan Winter that cast its shadow over the Arab Spring.

This brief, timely analysis situates the assault on Libya in the context of the winds of revolt that swept through the Middle East in the Spring of 2011. Vijay Prashad explores the recent history of the Qaddafi regime, the social forces who opposed him, and the role of the United Nations, NATO, and the rest of the world's superpowers in the bloody civil war that ensued.

Vijay Prashad is the George and Martha Kellner Chair of South Asian History, and professor and director of international studies at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. He is the author or editor of over a dozen books, including Karma of Brown Folk and, most recently, The Darker Nations: A People’s History of the Third World.

Genres: History, Middle East, Politics, Nonfiction, Libya, Africa, Research

271 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Vijay Prashad is the executive director of Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research. He is the author or editor of several books, including The Darker Nations: A Biography of the Short-Lived Third World and The Poorer Nations: A Possible History of the Global South. His most recent book is Red Star Over the Third World. He writes regularly for Frontline, The Hindu, Alternet and BirGun.

Reviews

[Tanroop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vijay Prashad's "Arab Spring, Libyan Winter" is a great analysis of the early dynamics of the Arab Spring, and the manner in which the Gulf States and NATO sought to take control of the dynamic in Libya. I had a vague notion that the NATO intervention in Libya had been a disaster, driven by political considerations that saw the protection of civilians as a convenient justification, but I only really grasp the full scale of it all- the alternatives blocked, the complicity of the media, the political maneuvering- after reading this. I am glad, however, that Prashad emphasizes the legitimacy of the uprising from below against the Gaddafi government, and sympathizes with their yearnings for dignity and desire to create their own future.

The book is split into two sections: the first provides a brief overview of the various uprisings that made up the Arab Spring, as well as the political dynamics that dictated the tenor of the movements and their reception by the US and the region's hegemons. The latter half, which constitutes the majority of the book, is a narrative of the rise and fall of Gaddafi's regime. I thought there were some gaps in the analysis of the relationship between Libya and the United States, and how that dynamic shifted from one of overt hostility to Gaddafi's accommodation of the War on Terror. Overall, however, the book was very well done and written with Prashad's usual passion. I'll be thinking about this one for a while.

This was written only two years after the Arab Spring actually began. While it still manages to provide crucial historical context to events Prashad's narrative is of events that are still unfolding, with ends that are uncertain. This is rarely a limiting factor in his analysis but, despite Prashad's optimism about the ultimate triumph of the people that started these incredibly brave movements, it's hard not to feel a sense of impending tragedy knowing how things have gone in the years since this book was written. I do think he is right, however, to see the Arab Spring as a rupture with the past that will have far-reaching consequences that cannot be quelled by repression.

"The Arab lands will not be the same again.
There is an appropriate, although apocryphal story from the 1970s. Zhou Enlai the Chinese premier was asked what he thought of the 1789 French Revolution. He answered, 'it is too soon to tell.' What we know for sure is that the time of the neoliberal security state, of the governments of the possible, is now over. Even if such states remain, their legitimacy has eroded. The time of the impossible has presented itself... The people continue to assert themselves...they want something more. For them the slogan is simple: Down with the Present. Long Live the Future. May it be so."

[Mack]

Through and candid, time to go back and listen to the Hillary did 9/11 episode of TrueAnon about Benghazi at the gym

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

(8/10) I complain a lot about nonfiction books that just seem to be padded-out magazine articles. Arab Spring, Libyan Winter, however, seems to take the better part of such articles -- their ability to respond immediately to current events, such as the recent tumultuous year in the Middle East -- and add the kind of detailed analysis that you can only get in monograph form. In terms of political non-fiction, Prashad manages the best of both worlds.

The book's arguments are not anything particularly novel: Prashad compares the popular revolts of the Arab Spring (good!) to the foreign intervention of the Libyan civil war (bad!) and situates both in a larger geopolitical narrative. ASWL supports this familiar argument well, with both factual evidence and theoretical ideas. In particular Prashad nicely debunks many of the claims of massacres made by intervention supporters. His analysis of the two situations is largely class-based, but without the puritan strictness of a lot of Marxist analysis.

So yeah, nothing totally mind-blowing, but if you're looking to find out more about what happened in the Arab world last year this is a good book to tourn to.

[Simon Astor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super-readable, clear history of the events leading up to the fall of Gaddafi and the current chaos in Libya. Makes strong points about capitalism and empire. Compelling without overbearing opinion. An interesting read on a long bus trip.

[Kariem · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good account

[Karlo Mikhail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I found some of the author's commentary disagreeable (like when he concludes that all we need is a democracy beyond the constraints of neoliberalism), this is as a whole a well-informed and well-written book on the Arab Spring and the US-European interventionist war in Libya. Of particular interest is the sharp analysis on the role of US imperialism in trying to highjack the Arab Spring (hence Libya, Syria, et al) for its own geopolitical interests.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Arab Spring and the foreign intervention in Libya make for a gripping topic on which Prashad offers interesting insights and has a number of good points to make. Unfortunately, the lack of organization that makes this book a wild mess jumping around in chronology and themes does its interesting content a disservice. Some of this content was apparently cobbled together from various articles the author wrote on the subject, which goes some way to explaining the lack of cohesion but hardly excuses it. Was the editor asleep?

[Paul Cooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I set my hopes too high for blockbuster insight. Has an interesting narrative, possibly providing hints to where to look for the deeper truth of these historic events.

[Jacob Woocher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vijay Prashad knows what's up.

[Lindsey Wallis · Rating 2 out of 5]

While the topic should have made this a gripping read, the lack of any kind of cohesive organization made it a slog at best. We find out on the very last page of the book that this is in fact mostly articles spliced together. It may have read better as a collection of articles -- at least then each one would have (theoretically) had a better sense of chronology.
As it stands, the first part of the book (a look at the events leading up to the Arab Spring)is by far the best written. After that things unravel and it is hard to follow as the author jumps back and forth between dates that are decades apart.
I certainly wish the author would not have rushed this book to print and taken the time to produce a more polished, thought-through product. That being said, there are lots of interesting conclusions here for those willing to take the time and effort to ferret them out.

[Marcy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little book is chock full of intricate details about the Arab uprisings and revolutions that began a few short years ago. It was especially enlightening to read Prashad's take on Libya, which is not a story that I followed quite as closely as the others. Prashad provides readers with almost a play-by-play of how the revolt in Libya was quickly coopted by the west and contextualises it in terms of the neoliberal agenda and the way it played out in neighbouring Egypt, Tunis, and Syria. Although the book feels a bit dated in that so much has happened since its publication, it is certainly offers readers with gread insight into events as they unfolded.

[Joss · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting book, poor review is not because I disagree with him. But generally unfocused and leaves more questions than answers. E.g., the author presents the idea that the civil war could have continued creating greater bloodshed and suffering than a quick NATO victory but then fails to offer an opinion on this or contextualise it within the overall framework of his argument. This being a collection of articles is no excuse, that's what editors are for!

And OH MY GOD the paragraphs, some sprawling for multiple kindle pages on the second smallest font. Where is this mans editor!!!

[Tori · Rating 3 out of 5]

I agree with most of the reviews on this site. While on the whole well-written and drawing smart conclusions as always, Prashad misses here due to hasty release and not-so-polished pulling together of articles. It was a bit hard to read because it jumped around, but, I still think I trust Prashad over most others to write and accurate and informed commentary of the Arab Spring and the downfall of Qaddafi.

[Pranaav Gupta · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book and the interesting insights it provides. What the book lacks is a coherent overarching narrative, while the book is written in a gripping manner with very interesting asides like little bits on the likes of Amb. Frank Wisner and shady American business interests.

The book is a hard one to finish and took me nearly a month.

[Ozen]

Sloppy, unorganized, and confusing. It felt like a torture to finish it. What happened to Vijay Prashad, the author of such captivating books like "Fat Cats and Running Dogs: The Enron Stage of Capitalism (2002)," and "The Darker Nations: A People's History of the Third World (2007)"?

[Joe Amditis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely phenomenal account of the Libyan revolution in the context of the political upheaval that swept the Middle East and North Africa in early 2011. Prashad delivers again with a gripping sense of narrative that maintains academic and literary integrity.

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Prashad had some very interesting insights, but I agree with many of the other reviewers that the book suffered from being disorganized. I hope he writes a more comprehensive book on the subject in the future.

[Caleb Parks · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting collection of articles on the Arab Spring and it's fallout. This book is before ISIS but after the initial situation. Still worth reading for it's perspective at the time and background in the lead up to the Spring.

[Leif · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant and conversational, Prashad's last is poised between academia and political intervention. A great critic of neoliberalism and oppression alike (as if the two were separate), Prashad deserves to be read. Sensitive, dangerous, and elegant.

[Shamil Dzhamaludinov]

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[Sachin Kamboj · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book to understand the turmoil in middle east and put it in present context which also explain the reasons for proxy war in regional powers!!!

[Noelle]

More than anything, highlighted what i don't know, but helpful.