Perhaps back nearer the topic, an insightful read is Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein. In it she describes how during periods of economic shock, social unrest and civil war, the west mobilises to manipulate the situations under the name of 'democracy' only then to 'reconstruct' systems and governments with economic advisers bringing with them binding IMF loans and various other strings that become ropes. It happened in places such as South America, Poland to name just a few. Of course non of the changes were altruistic but benefitted the bankers and the US.
What's happening now will see similar attempts of manipulation the unrest in the ME but IMO will only lead to the situation we see in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Initially this quote came to mind regarding just the ME unrest, but it is also pertinent to western governments and economic unrest:
"You see these dictators on their pedestals, surrounded by the bayonets of their soldiers and the truncheons of their police. Yet in their hearts there is unspoken - unspeakable! - fear. They are afraid of words and thoughts! Words spoken abroad, thoughts stirring at home, all the more powerful because they are forbidden. These terrify them. A little mouse - a little tiny mouse! -of thought appears in the room, and even the mightiest potentates are thrown into panic.
Winston Churchill
Last edited by Marooned; 3rd Mar 2011 at 03:36.