I've been pondering recent events in the Middle East and North Africa, and I've begun to see a trend. Post-election protests erupt in Iran, a year and a half ago....last month, widespread protests in Tunisia, leading to the ouster of President Ben Ali...more recently, same in Egypt, as yet unresolved, and most recently, same again in neighboring Sudan. All this has begun to make me wonder: could 2011 be the Islamic world's 1848?
There are some parallels, so far at least: in each nation, a different catalyst quickly morphs into a generalized protest for reform, an expression of widespread dissatisfaction with the status quo. Also, a key element in 1848 was the development of a middle class. Such would appear to be growing in Iran, and possibly elsewhere. In Sudan, the recent vote for secession by the oil-producing south could cut a sharp divide between economic classes, for instance.
There are some other nations in the region ripe for unrest, I believe. Heavily-impoverished Yemen would appear to be one, as would Somalia if it were organized enough to protest against. A serious risk in such cases (I feel) is that any movement for reform would be spearheaded by militant fundamentalists.
Which leads to a concluding point: if this is a trend, with parallels to the Europe of 1848, its roots might be traced back to the Iranian Revolution of 1979. Then, nationalism (as in 1848) was a major factor.
The revolutions of 1848 by and large produced little immediate impact that lasted (exception: Swiss Civil War, 1847, and enactment of constitution, 1848). But historians agree it was a watershed year nonetheless; within 20 years, all of Europe had been transformed, socially, politically, and economically.
Could the Islamic Middle East be facing the same scenario?
The Napolean-bashing story is a myth, Con. Drawings done of the Sphinx a couple decades before Napoleon's men arrived clearly show the same deformation as now.
How about that? You managed to be both condescending and insulting in one fell swoop! Might I point out that, while Arabic is the official language of Egypt, Egyptians are not Arabs? I'd suggest you educate yourself before replying, but only a snob would do that.
I can't speak to clothing-sizes in Ireland but I find the same nonsense here. I'm not a bulky guy by any standard; I wear a 38 jacket and 30-inch waistline jeans. Yet the t-shirt size that fits me is "extra-large." That's plain idiotic. It's as though the words had no meaning at all.
Dagosto Forum Posts (3,076)
Any helpful person wanna explain how one embeds the YouTube videos here? 
RE: write a word that starts with the last letter of word of person above you (only animal names)
Turkey. Hiya RD!