Title: "Reading 'The Dream Palace of the Arabs'"
Date: 2023-07-07T10:15:12+08:00
Slug: "The dream palace of the Arabs"
Tags: [Read]
Description: "The dream palace of the Arabs in the eyes of intellectuals"
Draft: false
The same period of history can be told well or poorly. In my opinion, the book "The Dream Palace of the Arabs" doesn't quite make it.
The book mainly unfolds from the perspective of intellectuals, and the dilemma of intellectuals is also the dilemma of the Arabs - the inner expectation of unity and reshaping glory. However, the reality is fragmented and full of struggles. Without a certain literary literacy and knowledge of Arab history, one cannot understand what this book is talking about and what it wants to express. After reading most of it, I have already forgotten the sentence in the book's description that says, "Where is the path of modernization in the Arab world?" It's like putting old wine in a new bottle, and it's mixed up. The impression of the Ideal Country Translation Series is -1 point.
Under this land, the road to peace is bound to be full of hardships, and it is not a problem that can be solved by a few leaders or generations. The last chapter of this book, "The Unapplauded Peace," fully reflects the contradictions that the Arabs have to face: even after years of war and millions of lives and homes lost, even if a leader finally pushes for the signing of a peace agreement, what they get is still the dissatisfaction of a large number of people in the country, especially the dissatisfaction of the intellectual class. This kind of peace hurts their patriotism. Under this sentiment, they are angry, they protest, and it seems that the lives of soldiers and civilians are not worth mentioning in the face of the humiliation they speak of.
In this situation, it seems that the Arab world has not produced a charismatic leader who is pragmatic enough, grasps the key points, and does not seek a one-time solution. It might be worth learning from Deng Xiaoping: for controversial issues, it may be better to set them aside. Our wisdom is not enough, and future generations may be smarter than us and able to solve the problems we cannot solve now.
First, seek survival, then pursue development, and finally plan for unity.