A book entitled "The State of Repression: Iraq under Saddam Hussein" was published recently by Princeton University. Its author, Lisa Blaides, has attempted to present a new account of the political situation under Saddam and a vision that runs counter to more than one angle with what is prevalent .
The author presents a new account of the situation in Iraq during the rule of Saddam, "one of the most repressive regimes in the world in the late 20th century." Iraq was seen as a country with a diverse social fabric, but that view was not real in its view.
Blades, who in 2011 released Cambridge University's book "Elections and Distribution Politics in Egypt," said that the disintegration of Iraq was not entirely unlikely, and that many did not understand the behavior of autocratic regimes and did not know much about the behavior of their people.
Drawing on the archives of the Baath Party seized by the Americans following their invasion of Iraq in 2003, Blades sheds light on the complexities of political life in Iraq, trying to explain why some Iraqis chose to cooperate with the regime, while others undermined it.
The author believes that while the Iraqi regime claimed full political dominance over the situation, its reliance on a policy of collective punishment of various groups against it strengthened the process of identity divisions. At the same time, the series of costly external shocks such as oil price fluctuations and the war with Iran To weaken the ability of the system to control the factions of Iraqi society and subject and control.
In addition to talking about Iraqi politics under Saddam Hussein, the book, through its 10 chapters and 354 pages, provides a new explanation of why and how authoritarian regimes are oppressing their people in ways and means that inadvertently strengthen their opponents.