"Business Networks in Syria": Jadaliyya Co-Editor Bassam Haddad on C-Span Book TV

Jadaliyya Co-Editor Bassam Haddad discussed his book, Business Networks in Syria: The Political Economy of Authoritarian Resilience with C-Span's Book TV, and talked about the current conflict in that country. This interview was recorded on the campus of George Mason University on 27 September 2012 and aired recently on C-Span. 

The themes addressed include:

• The gradual transformation of the Syrian economy after 1970 
• State-business networks and cronyism in Syria prior to the uprising
• The existence of economic networks elsewhere, including in the United States
• Tailored economic policies that benefited the upper business echelons
• The economic background of the uprising and the distinction between rural and urban areas
• On the significance of the Syrian military in comparative perspective
• The security services as the locus of coercive power in Syria
• The dilution of the uprising by the tactics and behavior of rebel groups
• The illegitimacy of US, Turkey, and GCC countries's call for democracy in Syria
• The regional and international context of the Syrian uprising
   

click below to watch the interview on C-Span