Why Dictators Now Face Civilian Revolt, From Syria To Swaziland -- Scott Baldauf, Christian Science Monitor
Protests in a growing number of countries show that citizens have more tools at their disposal to throw their dictators off balance, if not out of power.
Authoritarian regimes are crumbling across North Africa; street protests are rocking capitals from Syria to Swaziland. Is the age of dictators finally over?
Certainly dictators have been around for thousands of years, and for every strongman turned out of office in the past few months, there are dozens still holding onto power.
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My Comment: I recall reading years ago a comment made by Rupert Murdock on former Soviet Leader Gorbachev's reasons for Perestroika. In short .... Gorbachev realized that the Soviet Union could no longer control the information that was coming into their country .... that Soviet citizens now knew what the West was like, and more importantly .... the legitimacy of the Soviet government was now undermined because the lies could no longer be hidden. In today's uprisings, this is exactly what many in the Middle East (and elsewhere) are now feeling .... and more importantly .... the enablers for many of the world's dictators now know that their "legitimacy to power" is no longer given .... that the lies and corruption are finally being exposed.
Why now .... social media, the internet, cheap cell phones .... this has all had an impact. Throw in an economic crisis and high world food prices .... it becomes a guarantee for unrest .... especially for the older regimes.