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First, Tunisia erupted. It was followed by Egypt, Libya, Syria, Bahrain and Yemen. Will democracy come to the Arab world, or will regimes change and the state power structure stay the same?

Part of the complication in the Middle East stems from the colonization process, which embedded a power superstructure that was passed from colonizer to colonial subject, such that, in some cases, independence represented a second colonization. Nationalist movements that emerged in the post-war period are representative of this model, especially in the case of Egypt. After all, democracy is an inorganic, unnatural state in which the West has rested uneasily for the past half-century. As a consequence of its contrived form, democracy is unlikely to arise organically. If it did, however, it would constitute a dynamic liberalization of the region, making 2011 the year of the Arab Spring, similar to the Prague Spring in Czechoslovakia in 1968. So, what should the West expect from an Arab Spring? I would suggest that the West should not have high hopes.

History tells us that the Prague Spring was a complete failure because it was squashed by the Soviet Union by the end of the year. Although the specter of communism is no more, if one listens to today's current talking heads, their main question seems to be: Is Islam incompatible with democracy? However, a larger question should be asked: Why aren't Judaism and Christianity at odds with democracy, as well? Religion in its ... >>>