Tunisia, Egypt and the Ripples of Discontent

While the expression of all these groups has come in the form of protests, the grievances and goals of each are far from alike. Likewise, the method of dealing with the unrest by each regime is likely to be just as diverse, with some like Bahrain attempting to use the purse to quiet the protesters, and others — Tehran, for example — more likely to turn to the truncheon.

Though no other states appear close to the precipice right now, even if a leader is ousted, that doesn’t necessarily mean the system they headed will be gone, too. After all, in the two states now put forward as models by opposition forces throughout the region — Tunisia and Egypt — neither has actually seen the regime change that the rest of the world (not to mention the protesters in each respective country) seems to believe has taken place. One cannot rule out the possibility of regime change happening in one or more country in the greater Middle East, but it hasn’t happened yet.

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