I was wondering when the comparisons would begin . . . that is a wave of discussion of the current wave of revolutions rocking the Middle East comparing them to the French Revolution. It’s an easy comparision but not quite full enough. The more worthwhile critical essays are also pulling in the American Revolution (it is amazing to see how many folks out there seem to believe the French Revolution somehow inspired the American Revolution, evidently they are either ignorant of dates or they know a bit more about quantum time travel influences than the rest of us). Of course, the really good critiques of the current state will note that the age of revolutions of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries did not stop at the American and French revolutions but included movements that swept through all the great powers of Europe at the time. What is particularly interesting is that each of those governments had their own responses to this wave, most attempted repression which almost – but not quite – universally did not work. Of particular interest is that the British crown tried unsuccessful repression of the American rebellion and after losing the colonies was freed up to attempt a different response to the French Revolution which inspired similar unrest domestically but was short-circuited through pro-active positive action. Perhaps the regimes of the Middle East watching the domino that is Tunisia to Egypt to Bahrain and Libya and Iran, as well as those governments themselves might consider pro-active positive measures as well . . . giving the people more representation and voice while simultaneously cleaning their own house might cause change . . . change which is inevitable at this point as tigers do not return quietly back into their bags once they’ve had a whiff of fresh air . . . but change that is controlled and preserves the governmental system to a large degree. Certainly, democracy merely for the sake of democracy can lead to the mob rule and horrible reign of terror that the French suffered as an immediate aftermath of their revolution and that’s not going to do stability in the region any good and certainly would be a very bad thing for the people, nor would a period of chaos as a bunch of rival strongmen vie for central control do anyone any good. Rather, leaders who truly care . . . not only about their own tenuous hold on power but of the good country and the people . . . would begin to immediately start their own positive reformations BEFORE any unrest can begin thus inoculating their own governments from the virus of downfall. However, as we look back to see the now and perhaps guess at the future, it is important to note that the events unfolding in today’s Middle East (and Wisconsin, for that matter), while sharing some similarities, are NOT the same as those previous revolutions . . . and certainly, things need not play themselves out in the same way.

See http://www.thedailymaverick.co.za/article/2011-02-21-analysis-the-hurricanes-of-change-and-the-new-world-order-they-may-help-create and http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2049878,00.html and http://www.socialistalternative.org/news/article11.php?id=1528 for some very different thoughts on these current events.

The New York Times has an intriguing look at the Winsconsin situation at http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/21/opinion/21krugman.html worth taking a peek at.

– Brian