The Tunisian Model: Crush The Islamists And Liberation Awaits.
I was taking a hiaitus from posting but the news from Tunisia is is too heartening to ignore. It's yet another reason why I'm liking 2011 so much aready. Vive la révolution:
"Given the historical ineffectiveness of Arab publics to effect real change in their governments and the Tunisian regime's reputation as perhaps the most repressive police state in the region, the events of the past week are nothing short of remarkable. And while reports and analyses have focused on the extraordinary nature of the protests, it is equally important to consider what has been missing -- namely, Islamists.
"Unlike in Egypt, Jordan, Algeria, and most other secular Arab autocracies, the main challenge to the Tunisian regime has not come from Islamist opposition but from secular intellectuals, lawyers, and trade unionists. The absence of a strong Islamist presence is the result of an aggressive attempt by successive Tunisian regimes, dating back over a half-century, to eliminate Islamists from public life. . ."
posted by Terry Glavin at 12:46 AM
6 Comments:
I'm still gobsmacked and reeling at how fast things have moved in Tunisia. I expected the unrest to last a lot longer.
And guess what the people wanted? Freedom and democracy....true universal values, no?
It's a little too early to say what will shake out of this. Sure Bin Ali has fled, but military law has been imposed, and all any successor regime has to do is appear to be making the right moves long enough for the moment to die down a bit, and it's business as usual.
But even if this shakes out on the side of good, it is incredibly hard to see this being repeated anywhere else in the Maghreb or the Middle East.
All the other news is pretty depressing.
The Lebanese Government has fallen, and certain new laws have recently been imposed in Lebanon that will ensure increasingly bitter sectarian strife.
Hezbollah's armament on the Israeli border has quadrupled since the last border conflict, and the situation is leaning towards the resumption of hostilities.
The Brotherhood seems to be running rampant in Egypt, and the night of solidarity aside, expect further sectarian violence with a potential destabilization of the regime in the Brotherhood's favor.
On the plus side, Qatar is getting the World Cup, and as long as that kefala (see bondage, human) situation can be straightened out, things will start looking up there.
I can't believe so much has happened without my changing my Twitter avatar or updating my Facebook status.
It's a fine start to the new year!
Also - and off topice - though it's early in the year, I nominate the people who put together the Stuxnet virus for the Nobel Peace Prize.
(And while James O'Hearn is certainly right, I'm taking a short vacation from the negatives.)
Not off-topic, Brian. If this thing can go into service without a nasty hitch then warm and hearty congratulations are owed to the brainiacs of the "Zionist Entity" (and their Yankee-imperialist labcoat-wearing accomplices). GO JOOZ!
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