As Mexicans prepare to celebrate Cinco De Mayo, originally to commemorate their victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862 it now more of a holiday to commemorate Mexican civic pride and heritage.
Civic pride is something that has been lacking until recently in the Middle East as fatigued populations capitulated to the whims of their dictators.The unlikely event of a poor Tunisian fruit vendor burning himself to death in December 2010 in protest at his treatment by police has changed all that with pro-democracy rebellions erupting across the Middle East. He reinstalled civic pride in the Arab psyche.
Though lip service has been paid to this wave of enthusiasm which was about real aspirations and the struggle for human dignity the Western World has embraced this change in a hypocritical manner.
In Egypt the change up until now has been mainly cosmetic, and as bloodthirsty and homicidal the regime in Syria has proved to be Assad has barely got a slap on the wrist for his murderous ways.
With America leading the way in ignoring the rule of law in the extrajudicial killing of Bin Laden and Obama's gloating as he watched effectively a snuff movie of Bin Laden's execution it is no wonder regimes in the Gulf can ignore even the most basic principles of human rights.
Change is inevitable and it is up to the West to either embrace the aspirations and desire for freedom and dignity or lose another generation to extremism and violence.
It is no good being the last whip maker if buggies are extinct.
Civic pride is something that has been lacking until recently in the Middle East as fatigued populations capitulated to the whims of their dictators.The unlikely event of a poor Tunisian fruit vendor burning himself to death in December 2010 in protest at his treatment by police has changed all that with pro-democracy rebellions erupting across the Middle East. He reinstalled civic pride in the Arab psyche.
Though lip service has been paid to this wave of enthusiasm which was about real aspirations and the struggle for human dignity the Western World has embraced this change in a hypocritical manner.
In Egypt the change up until now has been mainly cosmetic, and as bloodthirsty and homicidal the regime in Syria has proved to be Assad has barely got a slap on the wrist for his murderous ways.
With America leading the way in ignoring the rule of law in the extrajudicial killing of Bin Laden and Obama's gloating as he watched effectively a snuff movie of Bin Laden's execution it is no wonder regimes in the Gulf can ignore even the most basic principles of human rights.
Change is inevitable and it is up to the West to either embrace the aspirations and desire for freedom and dignity or lose another generation to extremism and violence.
It is no good being the last whip maker if buggies are extinct.
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