Morbid Symptoms: Relapse in the Arab Uprising

Since the first wave of uprisings in 2011, the euphoria of the “Arab Spring” has given way to the gloom of backlash, clashes between rival counter-revolutionary forces, and a descent into mayhem and war. Morbid Symptoms offers a timely assessment of the ongoing Arab uprising.Focusing on Syria and Egypt, Gilbert Achcar analyzes the factors of the regional relapse: the resilience of the old regimes, the power of religious reactionary forces, the exceptional number of rival international and regional supports of both reactionary camps, and the shortcomings of progressive forces.Drawing on a unique combination of scholarly and political knowledge of the Arab region, Achcar argues that, short of radical social change, the region will not achieve stability any time soon.