On 17 December 2010, Mohamad Bouazizi set himself on fire in desperation in the small Tunisian town of Sidi Bouzid, sparking what became a revolution which in barely 28 days toppled one of the most notorious autocrats in the Middle East and North Africa. The upheaval that followed, however, surprised even keen observers, not only successfully removing Zine el-Abidine Ben ‘Ali from what seemed like a seat of unchallengeable power, but sparking revolts against other autocrats across the region, most famously in Egypt, but also in Libya, Yemen, Bahrain, and latterly Syria, with significant protests also in Morocco, Algeria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the Palestinian Occupied Territories. Today, as protesters in Tunisia and Egypt struggle to consolidate their gains and others hope to emulate their successes, it is far from clear what enduring results these uprisings will yield. Some have called the last few months an ‘Arab 1989’, while others have drawn analogies with Europe’s doomed revolutions of 1848. Although the outcome of these unprecedented uprisings and the precise nature of the changes currently taking place in Egypt and across the region will only become apparent in the fullness of time, some important lessons on their roots and significance can already be drawn.
The Unbearable Lightness of Authoritarianism: Lessons from the Arab Uprisings
Teti G;
2011-01-01
Abstract
On 17 December 2010, Mohamad Bouazizi set himself on fire in desperation in the small Tunisian town of Sidi Bouzid, sparking what became a revolution which in barely 28 days toppled one of the most notorious autocrats in the Middle East and North Africa. The upheaval that followed, however, surprised even keen observers, not only successfully removing Zine el-Abidine Ben ‘Ali from what seemed like a seat of unchallengeable power, but sparking revolts against other autocrats across the region, most famously in Egypt, but also in Libya, Yemen, Bahrain, and latterly Syria, with significant protests also in Morocco, Algeria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the Palestinian Occupied Territories. Today, as protesters in Tunisia and Egypt struggle to consolidate their gains and others hope to emulate their successes, it is far from clear what enduring results these uprisings will yield. Some have called the last few months an ‘Arab 1989’, while others have drawn analogies with Europe’s doomed revolutions of 1848. Although the outcome of these unprecedented uprisings and the precise nature of the changes currently taking place in Egypt and across the region will only become apparent in the fullness of time, some important lessons on their roots and significance can already be drawn.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
