Thursday, May 10, 2012

Arab spring

National radio in Denmark has been broadcasting several documentaries on the recent change of regimes in the arabic countries.

Last week it was about Yemen with The Reluctant Revolutionary. One smooth tourist guide, one half-exploitative journalist and a sit-down revolution camping in the streets.

Yemen demonstration - by FreedomHouse2

It is amazing to watch.

There's a lot of talk about freedom in libertarian ideology. But here we see how it's like to be beaten by hired thugs or even just the police for requesting a change of regime. The martyr syndrome unfolds - each beating makes people more angry, each casualty is a proof of how callous the rulers are. It is brutality, weapons and bullets against the sheer force of the people.

I'm happy I'm donating to Amnesty, although they were surprisingly quiet during the whole thing. Maybe revolutions just aren't their thing.