The welfare system in the UK is there to protect the poorest and I don’t know enough about the countries of Tunisia and Egypt to comment on their provisions for their poorest people, but I suspect that they are not as generous to their population as the UK is to us pampered Brits. It’s difficult to take to the streets with a full belly and a heated home somewhere. As for regime change? The only alternative is Labour and they’ve just had 13 years to improve things – and they managed to improve some of them, until Blair hypnotised the entire parliament to take us to war.

I’ve just watched the news from Egypt again and seeing the protestors sitting on top of army tanks seems to indicate that the revolution might succeed, and Obama is leaving the US’s options wide open, as is our own Hague. Jordan and Yemen has people on the streets as well.

World-changing events in my view, and I’m in favour of freedom, even if it comes at a price.

after the violance during the student thing.when we have the general stike we will see what happens.dont foget the riots years ago.it started with a few then spread all over the country.people were pissed off with things. now things for a lot of people are even worse than then.

I accept the UK isn't next in line but if mass unemployment hits the middle classes then things will take on a different level. Even the UK benefit system will not be enough.

There is a Mass TUC demonstration due in the UK on 26th March.

There were some today in London and Manchester against the coalitions spending cuts.

Students will be back no doubt, put them all together.

Yes, I remember the "violance", I can remember thousands of miners striking for ages with no pay (Arthur was excused, mind, he was getting his I expect. And unbelievably, they're still funding his London flat!)) and it acheived what exactly? Apart from a lot of poor miners, and the mines closed? And rich police, earning lots of overtime.

Oh well, if we're picking up typos again..

But yes, your point stands. I think the reason we generally don't have government-toppling riots in the UK is because we know we can vote the leaders out at the next election. The population in these ME countries haven't had this power, so they are resorting to revolution. Which is a shame, as innocents often end up killed in these situations.

True but not since the Harold Wilson years have we had any radical govt.
Even moreso now than ever, we just swap like for like.The recent bunch got in by default because the voters had such a piddle poor choice.
The global recession started because governments have just become puppets of big business and banks and I think people are fed up that even votes count for basically nothing anymore.

The future of the Middle East is being decided on the streets of Cairo, that’s what many commentators are saying. What not many seem to know is what happens next, but luckily it doesn’t appear to be another shift to fundamentalism.

Both Egypt and Tunisia have been good friends of the West, and especially Europe, but those former countries have unfortunately been lingering under virtual dictatorships for many years.

The whole region seems to be ablaze with revolution early this year, ready to fall like a line of economic dominoes. Are we just spectators? I noticed that when the western markets closed on Friday, it was a spectacle of red, including the pound Sterling.

In case you missed the historic moment

****.

Ah well, here's hoping that they manage a peaceful transition to a secular democracy.

There was a very depressing prog on the other day where someone pointed out how rare that is, and how often such a revolution ends up with

'New boss, just like the old boss.'

What countries?

Iran, Iraq. It may all end in tears. We shall see. Lets return to this next year.

Mubarak’s gone, I suppose it was inevitable and the result of people power. The rest of the world must be sweating on the result of the elections in September. If the Muslim Brotherhood get in, there will be trouble in the Middle East, but I don’t think they will – the demonstrators seem to be sensible young people that just want more freedom and democracy.

As a terrible aside, totally against my beliefs, could the history books be re-written about Bush and Blair? I hope not.

I hope not. That pair of self serving, scum sucking bastards should always be held up for what they are.

That way paedophiles will have someone to look down on.

Question is, will Saudi Arabia follow?

Also - will Egypt end up applying to join the EU? Although it's going to take some time before they let Turkey in...