Naa, Tunesia was actually the most important development..that was the spark that got the rest of the regions to quirk their eyebrow and decide enough is enough...if they can do it, so can we kinda thing.

Libya is just another firecracker on this line...egypt went easily (comparatively)...the issue will come when places like iran and eventually saudi arabia start going up, but none of this would truely be possible if indeed the intial spark wasn't lit...

The difference is, they lit their own spark. I hope the neo-con's are taking note...you can't force democracy on anyone...when they had enough, they will stand up themselves. Democracys (democratic republics, whatever) need only take note and support the process, not try to force it.

(neo-cons here are the ones that follow the PNAC followers whom want to force democracy all across the middle east by the gun to install american puppets..not the real conservatives...Chaney, not Paul)

One slight amendment to this may be unique places like North Korea (only one that truely comes to mind) where the flow of information is completely stopped and the public are kept as feudalist serfs more than people...but the rest of the world will sort out their own problems.

Originally posted by Curio
How will Russia and China play this? Will they get involved or sit back and watch what happens?

Oh, and Russia...meh, I doubt they care much...perhaps somewhat helpful. China I highly doubt will help due to their unfair conditions. They try to play down discussions or mindsets involving revolution..I however see neither of them really engaging in the process so long as it doesn't effect their economy buildup...actually, China may see a more democratic middle east to be a better deal for their crappy knock off products...more freedom = more luxury items

I don't think Russia has anything to lose..they already fail at attaining favor from the dictators, they might do alright to help out democracy, then do business with them as the "alternative to the west, but without the crappyness of the far east"