So far I have seen no real indicators for more open democratic societies
in the making. Leaving aside my own allergy to the word "democracy" and
its consequences as in Iraq, so far I have seen nothing but an
"Islamist" alternative presenting itself as some savior.
Not that I have anything against Islam, quite the contrary. However, I
am very wary of these Islamic parties. I am wary of the Tunisian
Islamists who try to re-assure us they are not Khomeinis, I am very wary
of Hamas and its close ties to Iran, I am very wary of the Egyptian
Muslim Brotherhood who is in bed with Iran, and needless to say I am
excessively concerned regarding the Lebanese situation and the Iranian
Hezbollah take over.
Some claim this wave of protests is a demand for Freedom (another
dreaded word in my dictionary as per the Iraqi lesson), this is
inaccurate.
At the grass root level, be it in Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Jordan the
demands were mainly economic in nature and have to do with rising costs
of living, inflation, low salaries, lack of social security,
unemployment...i.e an economic insecurity that can be inscribed in the
general global economic crisis. Basically, they are protests for Bread.
There is no doubt that Arab governments have contributed through their
own corruption, to this state of affairs. One cannot deny that. However,
I don't think at the grass root level, the main demands were demands
for more democracy and doing away with autocracy. More like doing away
with kleptomania, yes.
That is not to say that Arab people don't have aspirations for
"democracy", but it is to say that radical changes that are to take
place or are taking place cannot be divorced from the grander
geopolitical context, in the aftermath and with particular reference to
the US invasion and occupation of Iraq.
My fourth point is another observation that is sticking out like a sore
thumb. My question is how come there are no protests in "democratic"
Iraq where over 50% of the population is unemployed and how come all is
quiet on the Syrian front ? Don't they have inflation in Syria ?
Of course, both Iraq and Syria are totally in the Iranian camp today.
The countries where protests are taking place are in the so-called
pro-Israel, pro-US satellites.
Need I remind that US occupied Iraq is run by Iran and its Shiite parties and militias ?!
In this sea of political instability who holds the cards ? Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia (abdicated in Lebanon) or Iran ?
The answer is of course Iran and to a much lesser extent Turkey who in
my opinion got on a tad too late on the "anti-Zionist" bandwagon, due to
well known reasons : a) its past aspirations to join the EU which it
gave up by now and b) to NATO's presence on its soil.
The other thing that is missing from the big picture is Israel. I would
have assumed that Israel would be terribly worried by now, now that the
Palestinian papers are out, now that all those pro-Israel US lackeys are
being shaken by democracy. I see no Israeli worry and that worries me.
Iran is already praising the "revolutions" in the Arab world and that
worries me even more, for I have seen what the Iranian "revolution" has
done to Iraq in collaboration with the Americans.
The expected, immediate results are obvious to me, Iran has consolidated its regional position/influence even more.
On another note but very much related, and still on the subject of "democracy".
When the Shah regime fell, I heard the same excitement - namely that the
Tyrant is gone and that the winds of change, of freedom were sweeping
Iran...I let the Iranians respond to that today.
The same thing when Saddam Hussein's regime fell thanks to American
Imperialism and to Zionism, people applauded the end of "Tyranny". I let
the Iraqis tell you all about real Tyranny today, a tyranny of an
Iranian American flavor.
I realize it is too soon to pronounce myself on Tunisia and Egypt and
even on the Palestinian Authority's fate in the West bank, but...
As for Lebanon, check mate.
