A beginning and an end; that is what we are witnessing in Egypt and the Middle East. The peoples' revolutions underway in Egypt and Tunisia that could spread to other Middle East nations have the potential to be one of those great turning points in the history of the world. It is the beginning point for an eventual transformation of the entire region from dictatorial regimes to governments of the people.
While it is a joyous beginning for the people of the Middle East, it may also constitute the beginning stages of the eventual end of decades of dominance and control over that region by the U.S. and Israel. Over the years, as the people of this region have been suppressed and oppressed by a series of dictators, the U.S. and Israel have supported most of those regimes and, as a result, have personally benefited by advancing their own agendas and special interests.
This strong peoples' movement has the underlying power that, over a period of time, could restructure the balance of power not only in the Middle East but that of the entire world; and to think that these momentous events erupted from a sole police attack on a street vendor in Tunisia that set off riots after he, in response, set himself on fire and died several days later. The resulting violence and anger in the streets ended the 23 year dictatorship of President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, and sent him into exile.
That seemingly small, inconsequential act in Tunisia set off alarms all over the Middle East and that spark of defiance against authority triggered a massive peoples' revolt in Egypt. This was an awakening of the thirst for independence and free expression so long dormant in that region of the world. It's too early to draw solid conclusions, and this great movement might flounder and collapse, but all indications are that the Middle East is now primed to undergo a transformation that could not have been previously imagined.
As this revolution gathers strength, in Israel there is silence, and a growing apprehension and paranoia about the future. In America, mixed emotions are evident as the powers in Washington see the potential rise of democracy as a big plus; but there also is evidence of a fear of what the loss of friendly dictators in Egypt and other nations will do to diminish the control and domination that America has enjoyed and profited from for so many decades. When the U.S. emerged as the supreme power after World War II, and the state of Israel was created in 1948, the combination of these two nations has had a pervasive, controlling influence over the entire region.
From that time forward, the power and control by the U.S. and Israel has grown ever stronger and increasingly dominant. How much power? Well, the tiny state of Israel is easily the most potent and aggressive military force in that region and it just happens to be one of the world's top nuclear powers. Secondly, the U.S. is undisputedly the reigning superpower on this planet and its special interests, primarily petroleum, are the #1 reason for its massive presence in the region.
What now for Israel in this atmosphere of revolution? For certain Israel's already advanced state of paranoia is yet increasing as its leaders contemplate how radically the Middle East may change as the people throw out the dictators and begin new systems of government. With the people gaining more control over their own destiny, over time, the suffocating influence of the U.S. will begin to diminish and, as that happens, Israel will become ever more isolated.
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