The Arab Spring

Two viewpoints.

Mark Lynch at Foreign Policy

Phyllis Bennis at Al Jazeera.

The premise of both authors is that the world will be a better place if change takes place at all. Said another way, both authors believe in the Arab Spring as a net gain for not just the people in that part of the world - but for everyone. I'm not a believer, but I want to be an optimist.

There is a movement taking place in the Arab world in 2011, and it has already changed the future. How much of our strategic thinking and planning got it wrong in the face of rapid regional change? For example, did the US Navy really believe the offshore AFRICOM commitment in March 2011 would exist to this extent during 2008-2010 planning?

I doubt it.