The Arab Spring? should we be very cautious about the eventual outcome?

[Bobbisox]

Was the world a safer place when the above was under the rule of of the now "hated" leaders of these countries?
What will be the consequences?
good or bad

[Bbbananas]

Jeez bobbs, it's a bit early for all this :-)
Let me have a second mocha first.... I can't be deep & meaningfully-thinking before 8 a.m.

[Bobbisox]

Morning salla,
one has to get the gray matter going when one is retired, it's good for the health y'know :-)

[Bbbananas]

soz - thought this was chatterbank - I'll butt out before I get a slap....

[Bobbisox]

whoever would give you a slap pet????

[emmie]

the consequence if the various regimes are overthrown, and that would be a long shot, will be destabilisation in the regions, no government to speak of, lawlessness, and a very long time before things took a turn for the better, if indeed at all. Seeing as how many of these countries supplant one despot for another. Add into the mix many of the inhabitants seeing no hope will travel as many do now overseas, coming to Europe to find a better life, which won't happen, because most countries in Europe won't or can't accommodate the people.

[Bbbananas]

Oh, that's another story.....!
I meant a virtual slap on the wrist. That's the only slap I would tolerate these days.
I'll get back to CB before I start work.... that's all grey matter can cope with today. ;-)

[Bobbisox]

em thanks, this was very well put and like you, I can only see unrest spreading into Europe and at the same time, abhor the wickedness of these leaders

[WELSHYORKIE]

Bobbs, I wouldn't mind giving Sal a slap - nudge, nudge, wink,wink, nod's a s good as a wink to a blind horse!!!

[Bbbananas]

Get thee on CB welshy, before we both get one.....!

[Bobbisox]

both Sall and I have had 'slaps' in our time Welshy..:-(

[WELSHYORKIE]

I've gone

[Bobbisox]

no ya haven't :o)

[emmie]

We have interfered so often in the Middle East, for our ends, and ended up making matters much worse, you put in a man, who the west thinks will bring stability to the region only to find you have a saddam hussain, or ahmadinejad, who control by fear, and worse. Instability in these regions is not a good thing, especially where America is concerned, they have a tendency to shoot first and ask questions later.

[Bobbisox]

I find it inconceivable that the West feels it is their 'duty' to go into these countries and remove their leader, Libya did ask for intervention from the west though?

[emmie]

But asking for help and giving it are two different things, and its a mess there, we were quite happy to do business with gaddafi before, or at least some were, but if you supplant him who next, no one, so no government, same problem, more killings and to what end, to get another just like him, democracy is what many say they want, but its a long road that way

[Bobbisox]

there is also the added fear of turning each of these countries into Islamic states, I haven't a problem with any Islamic state, live and let live but it could be the fundamentalists that impose rule there, a breeding ground for extremists

[sandyRoe]

I was thinking of Egypt in particular. America backed the old regime for more than 30 years. The only political opposition that developed was the Muslim Brotherhood. They're theocratic, and maybe a bit fanatical. If they won the elections, when they come, they don't seem like a group that would accept the voice of the people in subsequent polls.

[Bobbisox]

Sandy, I agree
not sure what the answer is tho'
They have deep set hatred of the West and mistrust too but in some ways they have every right to feel like this, look at Palestine?

[emmie]

exactly, these countries are ripe for extremist organisations once they take hold will impose a far harsher regime than likely they had before.

[Bobbisox]

I can understand the feeling of the disaffected youth of these places though