I wasn’t too surprised to see Tunisia, the last man standing in the Arab Spring, also suffer a backlash. It took longer, but here it is. What I’m thinking about now is whether this is the ultimate evidence of the failure of all attempts at democratization in the Middle East and North Africa region or the Arab countries in general.
I remember discussing Tunisia as strong evidence that public agitation for regime change, liberalism and democracy in Arab countries is possible and that people have the power to change things. While I painted a beautiful picture, I wonder, from a broader perspective, whether democracy and liberalism are an appropriate model for an Arab state (or any non-democratic one). I mean, if it seems to have failed in so many cases, why is there a consensus that this is the way to go?
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