Be careful what you wish for in Tunisia

While most kind hearted people would naturally rejoice at the implosion of a corrupt brutal dictatorship, when you scratch the surface at the goings on in Tunisia, you can't help but get the feeling that nothing will change for the better. This sentiment seems to be best described by The Independent columnist Robert Fisk. Ive linked his article here , but I'd just like to highlight some of his points that especially resonate with me;

The French and the Germans and the Brits, dare we mention this, always praised the dictator for being a "friend" of civilised Europe, keeping a firm hand on all those Islamists. Tunisians won't forget this little history, even if we would like them to.
Yes, we would like a democracy in Tunisia – but not too much democracy. Remember how we wanted Algeria to have a democracy back in the early Nineties?

Then when it looked like the Islamists might win the second round of voting, we supported its military-backed government in suspending elections and crushing the Islamists and initiating a civil war in which 150,000 died.

No, in the Arab world, we want law and order and stability. Even in Hosni Mubarak's corrupt and corrupted Egypt, that's what we want. And we will get it.

It's the same old problem for us in the West. We mouth the word "democracy" and we are all for fair elections – providing the Arabs vote for whom we want them to vote for.

In Algeria 20 years ago, they didn't. In "Palestine" they didn't. And in Lebanon, because of the so-called Doha accord, they didn't. So we sanction them, threaten them and warn them about Iran and expect them to keep their mouths shut when Israel steals more Palestinian land for its colonies on the West Bank.

Ben Ali has fled. The search is now on for a more pliable dictator in Tunisia – a "benevolent strongman" as the news agencies like to call these ghastly men.

And the shooting will go on – as it did yesterday in Tunisia – until "stability" has been restored.

So what is likely to emerge when the dust settles in Tunisia? Another pro west strong man, or if we let the people actually decide their own fate, they may elect the previously banned Islamic Party? Dear oh dear, indeed be very careful what you wish for.......