Radicalization of the Middle East Dissent

  As I look at the events that have been unfolding in the middle east over the past many weeks, I am frustrated at the fact that horrific parts of world's history are repeating again. A decadent and ruthless regime is killing its own citizens and destroying its cities using tanks, air craft and mercenaries. A determined yet disunited opposition tries to  hold ground. In the back ground the European nations, who have the power to help the oppressed bicker among themselves on what to do. The sole super power makes idealistic statements but lacks the moral courage to lift a finger.

   However the dissent that has erupted in the the middle east is not something that can be snuffed out but superior fire power or organized crackdown. Even if the decadent middle east regimes succeed in putting out the flame of dissent for now, the embers will remain waiting for the right time to flare up. Only next time they will not be showing dissent using peaceful protests and they may not much care about democratic means of changing a government. Also they would have found new allies in the form of Islamic extremists.

 A brief glance at the French and Russian revolution gives ample pointers on how dissent suppressed re-emerges as dissent violent.

There are natural disasters and man made disasters- A revolution wrought in blood is a man made disaster and it leaves a scar on humanity more horrible than a natural disaster.

Revolution or Counter Revolution

  Looking at the protests happening in Libya, Egypt and Yemen today one would think a revolution is happening or in the process of happening. But in my opinion what is happening is a counter revolution. This is since all the incumbent governments in these three countries came about through revolutions. 

The protesters/rebels are trying to overthrow revolutionary governments. This would seem paradoxical but a brief look at the contemporary histories of these countries would prove this as true. Why would people try to overthrow revolutionary governments which they themselves helped put into place in the first place?

 Thas to do fundamentally with the way revolutions work- those who worked, fought and bled for it need not necessary be the ones in power at the end of it. This is since revolutions are essentially chaotic struggle for power and what emerges on top cannot be predicted easily. A rule of thumb that can be applied is that usually the most organized group active in a revolution may gain the upper hand. 

   Hence the grand ideals and moral objectives that sparked the revolution may not be there when it all ends. This is roughly what happened to the incumbent revolutionary governments presently in power in many countries. Examples like China, North Korea, Vietnam, Libya, Egypt come immediately to mind as examples of misguided revolutions.

  For all its apparent faults the US revolution seems to be the only one which preserved its original ideals.