[neopagan]

Anyone notice how this phrase is starting to smell? Is it possible that our journalists and editors were just a little too enthusiastic?

[DBM]

At this point it might be fair to say a little too enthusiastic....but hindsight is 20/20. I for one was enthusiastic about it, but primarily because the groups I saw gathering and getting vocal seemed to be the young who traditionally carry new ideas which are generally more progressive. Some of the fundamentalist regimes/societies could certainly use some progress. The internet, I think, helps expedite that process.

[Americanroyalty]

Yeah perhaps we should have seen the rise of islamists since this is exactly what happened when the Shah was overthrown in Iran. Basically students and leftist groups do the actual over throwing then the Imam's/Islamic parties see a threat to their power (science, rationalism, education, women's rights, etc.) and lead a counter revolution.
So far Morsi has been acting like a shmuck.

[RhetoricThug]

The internet was key.

I guarantee that our Intelligence community orchestrated some of the enthusiasm after the fact.

Obama did criticize the community for not spotting civil unrest, or predicting a flashpoint.

Like the financial crisis of 2007-8, the Arab Spring caught everyone by surprise, including those whose job it is to anticipate things like this. Intelligence agencies in particular are supposed to spot potential flashpoints before they erupt. Little wonder, then, that by early February 2011 President Obama was criticising the CIA and other American spy agencies for failing to predict the spreading unrest in the Middle East.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/dylan-evans/the-arab-spring-and-the-cia_b_1246230.html

The media was just doing what they do best. Sensationalizing.

I think Al Jazeera coverage was more to the point.
Here is a great opinion piece- http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2012/09/2012919115344299848.html


However, despite the Arab Spring coming to be- natural or not- I feel as if the west heavily influenced the idea of revolution, freedom, etc. All of which stem from Westerners ideologue. This could of had great consequences for the U.S.
In the end, the local power grab took effect. If the U.S. would of been more opportunistic, I believe the end result would of shown.

[DBM]

To clarify, I was not referring to social media strictly when I mentioned the Internet. I was referring to the generally accelerating dissemination of information into some of the "darker" regions of the world. I feel like resistance to technology is a futile effort that will fail in the end. Always.

[neopagan]

As far as hindsight being 20/20, I never thought a change of government would equal a springtime for the Arabs. It was also obvious to me that Democracy was not going to be established in Iraq by kicking out the Baathists. Same crap is going down in Syria. It will just be a different bunch of thugs. The Middle-east does not have the institutions required to establish individual freedoms. And their tribalism will be very difficult to overcome without an urban, industrial base.