Synopses & Reviews
Iraq is the most ethnically diverse country in the Arab world today. The country's historical transformations have stemmed in part from conflict and contact with newcomers invaders, itinerant preachers, traders, and refugees who have each left their own mark and become integrated into Iraq's social fabric. After three major wars, 13 years of sanctions, and the domestic legacy of a police state, the country's isolation has worked to preserve and reinforce an old culture with attitudes and skill sets that other traditional societies would be hard pressed to match.
In The New Iraq, Joseph Braude draws upon his deep knowledge of the country's history and people to show how a viable Iraqi economy will liberate its society and thereby transform the Middle East. A new religious establishment that fosters liberalism and interfaith dialogue in the spirit of the creative theosophical debates sponsored by the Caliphs of Baghdad in the 10th Century will promote ideals of coexistence and tolerance in countries that badly need them. By transforming its military from a force that threatens neighboring states into a 21st century army of nation-building and defense, Iraq can provide a model that strengthens security in the region and reduces bloated military budgets that divert public funds from investment in education, health, and industry. A viable Arab government spending less on defense and more on its people will raise expectations among societies in the Gulf and all over the world vis a vis their governments region-wide.
Braude challenges all of us, from many countries and walks of life, to take part in facilitating Iraq's reintegration into the global economy. The recipe for a prosperous new Iraq will marry the external demands of the global marketplace with an internal reappropriation of the unique attributes of Iraqi civilization.
Review
"Braude is more than just your average carpetbagger. His is an extraordinary racket: He aims to get rich and famous by hustling the hustlers....The New Iraq is a peculiar book, full of many legitimate, if fairly obvious observations....What one lacks in experience one can make up in style, and so The New Iraq is written in prose coated with surface flash and bravado: belabored metaphors, cute section titles ('Iraq 'n' Roll'), and faux-bold pronouncements....But underneath it all is the same weirdly spongy writing that business people are so prone to, the forceful vagueness, eager to inspire but terrified of offending, that always winds up communicating next to nothing....The U.S. has made the decision to invade Iraq and eject its current government....We're now obligated, by our own moral posturing and self-interest, to help that country pull itself out of the hole....But if a glib and opportunistic slickster like Braude is any indication of who's about to descend on Iraq, we'll just be adding insult to injury." Laura Miller, Salon.com
Review
"Combining sensitive description of centuries of history with vivid eyewitness reports on the present, Brause offers a fascinating, horrifying, yet hopeful description of Iraq." Ernest May, Professor, John F. Kennedy School of Government, and author of The Kennedy Tapes: Inside the White House During the Cuban Missile Crisis
Review
"A welcome departure from the usual discussion of contemporary conflicts and disputes in the Middle East...Braude comes to his subject with personal experience and empathy. He knows the languages, has lived and eaten with the residents, has thought long and hard about past achievements and future possibilities. A must for those who want to understand." David Landes, Harvard Univeristy professor and author of The Wealth and Poverty of Nations
Review
"As a writer and a player of Oud, the author moves softly back and forth, between the greatness of the past and the graveness of the present, from the brutality of Saddam to the beauty of Iraq. It is a lyrical tribute to the Iraqis of the future." Ali Salem, Egyptian playwright
Review
"A superb guide for the rebirth of the great civilization of Iraq by one who knows the country, its history, and its culture intimately. It's all here: how to resuscitate the judicial system, the army, the economy, even the cinema. Lucid, balanced, and wise." R. James Woolsey, former Director of Central Intelligence
Review
"For all the continuing debate about the dangerous present and indeterminate future of Iraq, there has been no analysis of that nation's history and actual potential for transformation into a just society that comes close to Joseph Craude's crucially illuminating book, The New Iraq. He is a scholar, a humanist, and a realist." Nat Hentoff
Synopsis
Includes bibliographical references (p. 183-198) and index.
About the Author
Born to an Iraqi-Jewish family, Joseph Braude studied Near Eastern languages at Yale and Arabic and Islamic history at Princeton. Fluent in Arabic, Persian and Hebrew, he is a business consultant to governments and corporations on the Middle East. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Table of Contents
The legacy of ancient Iraq -- The struggle for Islamic Iraq -- The soundtrack to modern Iraq -- The party's over : Saddam's privileged politicos and their future in Iraq -- State-building by the book : Islamic leadership in the new Iraq -- About face : reengineering the Iraqi army -- The wages of stability : stunted business and labor under sanctions and surveillance -- Iraq'n'roll : profit and gain in Iraq's globalization -- The editorial we : pluralism and Iraqi journalism -- Babylon take two : Iraqi cinema and entertainment -- Teachers and judges of truth -- A time to relax.