The uprisings we are seeing across the region are quite heartening and seem to signal promising changes in the Middle East. As American abolitionist Frederick Douglass said in 1857, "Power concedes nothing without demand. ... The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress." No different than anywhere in the world, when improvements are made - be they in the realm of politics, governance, legislation, etc. - the credit is usually owed to ordinary people organizing and making demands.
The leadership in the Middle East is largely a byproduct of how the region has been manipulated since World War I - first by Britain and France, followed by the United States after 1945. The Arab populations therefore have two tiers of authority against which to resist, making the scenes - and their civility - in Cairo and elsewhere all the more inspiring. Washington and its regional clients prefer dominance over democracy (power's interests are generally at variance with ours, as most people want about the same things, and those "things" don't conduce to vertical systems). But in the face of overwhelming popular pressure, it becomes increasingly difficult for the governments to suppress those energies. Power can use coercion and inflict pain, but power is ultimately fragile - and its custodians are quite alert to this reality.
What is taking place in Tahrir Square undercuts many of the ideological assumptions we in the West have about the Arab Middle East. They may lack our freedoms, but they are not unaware of the fact. Furthermore, the people there don't begrudge Americans and the West their liberties, they simply desire to develop their own, on their own terms. And now we are witnessing that take place in real time. Despite the adversities and obstacles, Cairo is demonstrating great courage. To the point, we might consider taking note of the lessons on display.
