Thursday, February 07, 2013

Arab Spring Sputters On

The period of unrest in the Arab Spring is not over. That's a good thing.

Tunisia--the birth place of the Arab Spring (excepting Iraq, of course, that may have been the underlying example of hope for life better than a boot stomping on a face forever)--is facing more uncertainty as the leadership attempts to defuse angry and violent protests:

In a televised address, the prime minister delivered a speech to the nation and announced the formation of a new government of non-partisan figures and technocrats.

Jabali’s decision, which followed the killing of prominent secular opposition figure Chokri Belaid in front of his home on Wednesday, was a personal one taken in the interests of the country.

But since it is impossible for habits of democracy and rule of law to spring up overnight after their long histories of autocracy, continued unrest at least means that a new version of the old autocracy isn't just settling in on top of people who don't know what real democracy is, in order to keep the same game going with perhaps only different players at the top (if the top changes much at all, that is).

Work the problems.