Is It Possible?

Egypt and her sister Tunisia have done the impossible. Defeating any sort of dictator seemed impossible, let alone one supported by the West. Being an Arab republic didn't help the situation, either. The people defeated the odds. And this is no shitty historical euphemism. This is all true and we've seen it happen in front of our eyes: the suffering and the celebrations. In fact, many Islamic leaders have claimed to say "THIS is the true meaning of Jihad...it's not some arbitrary violent act made by turban-wearing madmen." But, is this revolution possible in all of the Middle East? Well, there is one test that can truly prove the power of the people. IRAN.


Its been a while. The protests in Tehran have been going on for a while. So far, a few are dead and many are injured; however, Ahmadinejad still sits as the President and has the balls to call them - as in the protesters - "enemies" of the state. But, if the people are able to defeat him, they will prove to the world that Democracy transcends the West. For the past decade, we have been heading towards a philosophy that assumes only the West - namely America - can speak the language Democracy. We thought, it was the British Puritans who threw Charles I. It was the Convention of White Men who met in Philadelphia and Boston who brought it to the Western Hemisphere. But, alas, Egypt and Tunisia have proven us wrong, at least since 1947. 


So, if the protests are to be successful in Iran, they will not be the first to prove Eastern democracy manifested by the people. No. Rather it will prove that the West isn't the only driving force for successful Democracy. Rather, these young men and women will prove that there is only one way to make democracies successful: a driven citizenry. 


Advanced Democracies have, to a level, a citizenry that is determined to maintain its say in their nation's politics. The civil society. That's why its so hard to secure a democracy in Afghanistan or Iraq. But once this is done, nothing could even possible stop the force of democracy. This is why its so important that the protesters across the Middle East are successful.