2011: The year that changed the world forever...

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Well here it is; the last day of 2011. Many of us will be reviewing 2011 before we close it out, on a number of fronts. I think what makes some 2011 events important is in the impact those events will have on the years to come.

On the world stage, I think every one will call the ARAB SPRING as the event(s) that history will take note of for many years to come.

Started by a young, poor vegetable cart owner who was denied a license to sell his vegetables on the streets of Tunis, Tunisia and thereby denying him the only means he had to support his family with, he went to the main government building and set himself on fire and thus killing himself.

That act of desperation against a cruel, dictatorial and corrupt government was the spark that set the whole Arab world ablaze.

Tunisia just elected its first democratic government. Egypt deposed its long time dictator but is still in the throws of forming a nominally democratic government. Libya underwent a violent struggle against its long time dictator, killing him and ushering in a hopefully democratic government.

Syria is in the throws of a very violent uprising against its long time, very stubborn dictator with the outcome still tentatively uncertain but with the Arab League stepping in, a hopefully quick end to the slaughter is in sight with an eventual departure of the dictator and the imposition of a democratic governing system in the near future. The people in Yemen have also rioted for change and may be on the verge of overthrowing their long time dictator...hopefully soon.

The Arab Spring has not reached Iran…yet, but there is still hope that the people will eventually rise up against its brutal, dictatorial theocracy (religious dictatorship).

The Arab uprising has also spurred other peoples to action. In Russia, the people have had enough of the unofficial dictatorship of Putin and his party; they are demanding free elections without fraud and I think their voices are being heard.

Burma or Myanmar, has officially opened its borders and is nominally making attempts to bring democracy to their country but we will have to wait to see if the actions are legitimate or just an excuse to improve the economy.

China, long under a strict Communist dictatorship for many years has experienced dramatic economic growth and with it modernization and now a demand for more freedoms.

In our country, the OCCUPY WALL STREET MOVEMENT has some relation to the Arab Spring movement as all peoples are inspired to make their feelings known.

Hard to imagine that one person’s act of desperation moved so many and resulted in changing not only the Arab world but the entire world.

And you thought, what can little ole’ me do to change things in this vast world of ours…now you know…

Related articles

• Reflections on the Arab spring (constantemotion.wordpress.com)
• The Arab Awakening: Roots of the uprisings (fullcomment.nationalpost.com)
• Ten people who changed the world: Mohammed Bouazizi, an ordinary man who became the Arab Spring's figurehead (independent.co.uk)