Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[syoshioka99]

　The Arab Spring is widely presented as a regional, youth-led revolution on behalf of liberal democratic principles. Yet Libya is not ruled by such forces; it hardly continues as a state. Nor is Egypt, whose electoral majority (possibly permanent) is overwhelmingly Islamist; nor do democrats seem to predominate in the Syrian opposition. The Arab League consensus on Syria is not shaped by countries previously distinguished by the practice or advocacy of democracy. Rather it reflects, in large part, the millennium-old conflict between Shiite and Sunni and an attempt to reclaim Sunni dominance from a Shiite minority. It is also precisely why so many minority groups like Druzes, Kurds and Christians are uneasy about regime change in Syria.

[Questions]
1) Can I say I can rephrase the word "presented" here into "regarded"
or "recognized"?

2) Such forces here imply "liberal democratic principles"?

3) Electoral majority=A majority of people who can join an election? What does "permanent" mean here?

4) Rather it reflects... Does it refer to "the Arab League consensus"? Can I say "Rather it is shaped" rather than "Rather it reflects" here?

You can answer either of those questions.

Thank you very much in advance for checking my questions.
Your comments as a native English speaker is very helpful and welcomed.

[IanT]

1) those changes would alter the meaning slightly. When he says "presented", he means "presented by bad people - it's not true"

"Regarded" would mean "generally accepted", which he wouldn't like, and "recognized" would mean "accepted because it's true", which he would like even less!

2) Yes

3) Don't know. Either "the majority of people who can vote" or "the majority of poeple who are in power now, after being voted for". Permanent means that it probably won't change, whichever it is.

4) Yes. And you can say "Rather it is shaped by..." That would be fine, here.


Hope there's not too much more! I have to admit that I dislike both this man and his English quite a lot!

Best wishes,
Ian
_________________
All my answers refer to British English.

www.EnglishSwearing.com - How to use all the bad words! ... and ... www.throdworld.com - Silly verses to make you happy.

You decide the price for both!

[syoshioka99]

I really appreciate your assistance with this, Ian.