Wrongfooted

[poliphilo]

For all that our journalists and politicians are always banging on about muslims, I don't remember anyone predicting the Arab revolution. Western leaders were so completely wrong-footed by it that their first reaction was to make cooing noises at the dictators- with Sarkozy going so far as to offer to help Ben Ali out by sending him some of his surplus riot police.

It was often said that the dictators were a necessary evil because they kept the mullahs down, but the uprisings- all of them- have been led by secular youth- with not a mullah in sight. It was also often said that Arabs are primitive (but noble) tribal folk who don't understand or want democracy...

Comments

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I don't think Saddam ever faced the kind of popular street protest that is currently sweeping the Arab world.

Mubarak and Gaddafi are similarly ruthless- but Mubarak has already gone and there are reports this morning that Gaddafi has fled Tripoli.

I share your disdain for most journalism.