COMMENTARY MAGAZINE
The term Arab Spring is one that speaks to the general sympathy with which the world greeted anti-authoritarian protests in the Arab world. But as we survey the region, it appears that those who feared that this year of revolutions might turn out to be another 1848—in which 
European liberals rose but were soon defeated by reactionary forces around the continent—may turn out to have been right.
European liberals rose but were soon defeated by reactionary forces around the continent—may turn out to have been right.While the success of repressive regimes in Syria and Bahrain are the most glaring examples of authoritarian regimes being able to suppress dissent (with the military stalemate in Libya another depressing story that has left Qaddafi in power in Tripoli), it appears that the most famous triumph for Arab protesters may turn out to be no victory for freedom after all.
As the New York Times reports today, Egypt’s military is increasing its censorship of critics in the media, making it all too obvious that the fall of Hosni Mubarak was more of a military coup than a successful popular uprising. Military control of Egypt may be preferable to that of the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist group that is increasingly influential in that country since the fall of Mubarak. But it is far cry from democracy or anything approaching a free society.
Especially appalling are the revelations that the military conducted “virginity tests” on female demonstrators during the protests. This practice, which sounds more like an official policy condoning rape than anything else, puts the lie to the new regime’s supposed desire for accountability for the violence that went on at that time. Indeed, such stories place Cairo’s determination to try Hosni Mubarak for protesters’ deaths in a hypocritical context that is difficult to defend.
While those in the West have debated the virtues of exporting democracy to the Arab world, events in Egypt are making it all too clear that the outcome of the Arab Spring has little to do with anything that resembles our ideas of freedom
Note:
Exactly! The Arab Muslim uprisings across the Middle East have less to do with liberty and freedom and more to do with uniting against the State of Israel and the west. What exactly would it take to have the Arabs "like" us? We have donated aid in the amounts of billions of dollars; fought some of their wars for them - remember Kuwait? - Libya?
Time the United States went back to their history classes and actually studied Middle Eastern concepts; time to stop bribing entire nations for no other reason than they might not murder us in our beds, or slam planes into buildings; time to recognize terrorists organizations as our enemies - Hamas, Hezibollah, Muslim Brotherhood; time to stop rewarding those countries that punish our allies i.e. Egypt, refusing to honor written agreements with the State of Israel to provide gas to Israel, etc. and etc
Every single thing the West has done so far to reach out to the Islamic countries has backfired - why are we continually making the same mistakes over and over again?
Bee.
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