We are now almost exactly two years into the Arab Spring – it began with protests in Tunisia back in December 2010 and January 2011. It is a good time to take stock.
What is the overall scorecard of achievements and failures?
Achievements:
- Overthrowing several oppressive tyrants and moving to at least some liberty and democracy, particularly in Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt.
Failures:
- Collapsed States in Libya, Syria, Yemen, and Mali (due to spillover from Libya).
- Civil Wars in Libya (now over) and Syria (ongoing with 60,000 dead the latest estimate).
- Islamists gaining influence in Egypt, Syria, and Libya.
For the overall scorecard, failures outweigh achievements by a considerable margin. Probably it is something like 20% achievement (lessening oppression) versus 80% failure (descending into barbarism).
An earlier view of the Arab Spring in Syria is here and a comment on the issue of separation here.
Breviosity 