The Hidden Hand : Middle East Fears of Conspiracy

Rating:
Summary: A Must Read
Review: Anyone interested in Middle East policies, politics, and general viewpoints would be wise to read this book. It goes a long way in explaining the backgound positions which pertain to the Palestinian-Isaeli conflict, the events of September 11, the Gulf War, etc. A fascinating and in-depth insight into the attitudes which shape the governments of the region.

Rating:
Summary: superficial & technically defective
Review: I know the Mid-East, having lived & travelled there constantly for more than ten years & having returned very often since my last residence there to travel even more. Like the author, I am Ph.D. holder -- Mid-East history. I find this book very superficial; what else can it be for lack of real substance? Moreover, I randomly checked the index & found that not a single item panned out. Need I say more? I am sorry I bought it; that is more. And still more: with so many notes, a bibliography is a must, if for nothing more than to help the reader evaluate the book based on the sources consulted.

Rating:
Summary: A Must Read
Review: I know the Mid-East, having lived & travelled there constantly for more than ten years & having returned very often since my last residence there to travel even more. Like the author, I am Ph.D. holder -- Mid-East history. I find this book very superficial; what else can it be for lack of real substance? Moreover, I randomly checked the index & found that not a single item panned out. Need I say more? I am sorry I bought it; that is more. And still more: with so many notes, a bibliography is a must, if for nothing more than to help the reader evaluate the book based on the sources consulted.

Rating:
Summary: A well written book on a topic that's often overlooked
Review: Is it proper to discuss the popular beliefs of a group of people? Of course it is. Some groups of people are very superstitious. Some are more mystical than others. And some groups dwell on conspiracy theories to a surprising extent.

Pipes is right to being up this topic. He simply had so many experiences in which he heard some baffling conspiracy theories from otherwise intelligent people that he decided to look into the matter.

The author points out that all these conspiracy theories lead to Arab misunderstanding of the world around them. That's not good for anyone. In addition, they have enabled plenty of snooty feelings of superiority among Westerners, some of whom arrogantly see Arabs as inferior just because they act the way Westerners themselves behaved a few decades ago.

Pipes gives some examples of the conspiracy mentality. He shows how Nasser used it to misanalyze the Egyptian defeat in the Six Day War of 1967. And how others used it to tell fantastic stories about Israeli plans to acquire a rather large Empire, including not merely nearby cities such as Beirut, Damascus, El Arish, and Amman, but faraway ones such as Baghdad or Medina.

This attitude has led to a surprising evaluation of Zionism. That is, I can see being very angry with the government or policies of some nation. But I am surprised that anyone would find fault with the idea of a nation. Zionism is simply a philosophy of human rights for everyone, including Jews. Some Zionists may be good, and some may be bad. But Pipes shows that to many Arab conspiracy mentalities, Zionism itself is ominous and threatening. So much so that they are often in fear of their own compatriots being secret agents for Zionism (whatever that may mean)! And it allows them to believe simultaneously that the Zionists control the US and vice-versa.

The author asks if the conspiracy theorists are being sincere or manipulative. His conclusion is that for the most part, the politicians believe much of what they say. This is often true even when their statements appear to be in direct violation of facts, implausible, vague, unrealistic or illogical.

I think the best point that Pipes makes is that the environment in the Arab world is conducive to such beliefs. There really are quite a few conspiracies in that part of the world. There really is plenty of rewriting of history, so many people instinctively mistrust what they are told (only to replace it with even more dubious ideas). And the media in that part of the world are extremely untrustworthy as well. However, the mistrust and skepticism all this generates leads not to a more rational approach to reality but to more gullibility.

This is a very good book, and it shows that there is a need for education and modernization in the Arab world. And that more than anything, everyone needs to have a respect for truth and a willingness to cull lies and dispose of them.

Rating:
Summary: Good reading now, valuable reference piece in the future
Review: This book was read by the undersigned shortly after reading another book on conspiracies,"committe of 300 by coleman. Anyone interested in the truth as to conspiracys which have been perpetrated on, over and around you on a continuous basis for years, should make both the hidden hand and committee of 300 a must. Both books should be kept as reference material which can be utilized on a daily [YES DAILY] basis as to explain why certain things that happen on a daily basis do actually happen and what the truth behind it [whatever] is; especially pertaining to economics, government and foreign policy.