February 26, 2011

Libya and Beyond: The Arab World's Great Democratic Revolutions of 2011

Phyllis Bennis on these "amazing times" and their impact internationally: ... "for us, in the U.S., this means the end of an era – the end of a U.S. policy based on oil, Israel, and stability. It means the end of an era of domination wrought through support for dictators and – maybe – the end of an era of uncritical backing for Israeli occupation."

Full text of her "Talking Points" e-mail:
"What amazing times these are, and what a privilege to be able to watch and cheer and join in the protests as people rise across the Middle East to demand human rights and real democracy. It’s breathtaking, exhilarating and terrifying all at the same time. Egypt and Tunisia, the first victors, are struggling to rebuild new societies; in Bahrain and Yemen, protesters remain in the streets; in Libya, things are teetering on the brink.

And for us, in the U.S., this means the end of an era – the end of a U.S. policy based on oil, Israel, and stability. It means the end of an era of domination wrought through support for dictators and – maybe – the end of an era of uncritical backing for Israeli occupation. Last week at the UN, the U.S. cast another in its long and sordid history of vetoes, this one to prevent the UN from criticizing Israeli settlement expansion in the exact language the U.S. itself uses – in order to keep control of Israel-Palestine diplomacy squarely in U.S., not international hands. Ironically, in the face of the incredible revolutionary transformations in the region, that veto may actually end up working on the side of human rights and international law – by showing just how isolated the U.S. is in its support for Israeli violations, other countries and the UN itself are more likely to reclaim the diplomacy. You can read my analysis of it: “Sometimes a Veto Means a Victory”

Watch and cheer as the protesters in Wisconsin and now Ohio and Indiana take to the streets, take over the statehouse, and claim the Egyptian victory of Tahrir Square as their own inspiration. If the Obama administration is looking to help support democratic movements, the Mid-West would probably be a much better idea than the Middle East. We’ve got some lessons to learn from the democratic movements rising across the world.

Finally back to Libya where the violence of the regime has been greatest, where people have paid the biggest price so far in this democratic uprising, as Libya burns with brutal violence and with revolutionary power, we watch in awe. My latest piece, “Libya And Beyond” looks at some of the issues facing the Obama and the administration – including question of the role of the UN. Take a look.

And we’ve got a lot of work to do."

All best,
Phyllis

Phyllis Bennis is a Fellow of the Institute for Policy Studies and the Transnational Institute in Amsterdam. She is co-author of Ending the U.S. War in Afghanistan: A Primer.

Subscribe to her e-mail "Talking Points" here