Arab Uprisings

One is reminded of the final scenes in Lawrence of Arabia when the tribes arrived in Damascus and total riots resulted and the water and electricity failed. The NY Times reports on this issues. The question is; can a stable outcome result or are we seeing just the beginning of more confusion.

This is not at all unexpected to anyone who has spent time in the region. I have been in and out of this areas for the past forty years. One even stays in mind, when in the late 1970s I had to set up training for what was then ArabSat, a pan Arab satellite system. One could sense the issues then. Whether it is Saudi, Jordan, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, to name a few, stability may not be found easily and "democracy" as Americans know it may never be attained.

So why are we not surprised. After all, Elizabeth II was the first English monarch since 1162 who did not claim Ireland in toto.