Arab Spring Spin Sprung

The panglossian pollyannas who have prematurely been welcoming an Arab democratic revival in Eygpt, Libya , Yemen, and Syria as an" Arab Spring" are soon to be disappointed . The deposition of tyrants by a democratic movement is inevitably followed by seizure of the reins of power by the best organized group ; many times the military, which then imposes a new rule. However, in the aforementioned countries the most organized group is the zealous Islamists. I remember that the United States belatedly supported the removal of the Shah of Iran assuming in our usual naivete that he would be succeded by a less oppresive government . The result, a theocratic Islamist regime that despises democracy and the West. The "Arab Spring" will become a "Western Winter". Haven't any of our diplomats or leaders read Eric Hoff"s "True Believer". They are a group of innocents in a ravenous world.