The Spoilers

And there are many including Colonel Gaddafi of Libya who condescendingly told the Tunisians that they made a big mistake in getting rid of Ben Ali. He was quite vocal in condemning the Tunisia people telling them that "Kleenex has fooled you, why did you believe their lies, there is no one better for you than Ben Ali." If you are confused by the Kleenex reference you are not alone. Gaddafi has his own language and sometimes occupies his own universe, Kleenex is apparently his word for Wikileaks. Interestingly enough he has been silent since Mubarak was deposed. Perhaps it hit a bit too close to home. Mubarak a military man, in power for 30 years, and Gaddafi another military man who has been in power for some 40 odd years. Gaddafi was in his late 20s when he came into power through a.... surprise, surprise, military coup! There hasn't been much noise coming out of Libya, but then the country has strict laws against protests and assembly. But nothing is beyond the realm of possibility..

Then there are the Iranians. They watched Tunisia without comment. When Egypt came they were on news channels, trying desperately to co-opt the movement. Claiming that the protesters were inspired by the Iranian Islamic Revolution of the 1970s. What a joke. If anything they were inspired by the opposition protests in Iran not so long ago, and then broken by the regime's brutal, and merciless response. And just as the Iranian regime feared thousands are organizing once again in Iran, protesting and calling for reform, for change, and for a basic human right, freedom. May God protect the citizens of Iran because if we are to put our faith in the actions and rhetoric of this regime they mean to exterminate the opposition. The political executions that have happened just in the last year or so boggles the mind, and saddens the heart. For a quick article on political executions in Iran (http://www.rferl.org/content/iran_republic_of_executions/2304190.html)

Let's not forget the smug bastards, these are the monarchies that for all intents and purposes are safe. These are your King Abdullahs of Saudi, the Sheikhs of the various Emirates etc. They've been making statement admonishing the populace as if they're little children misbehaving. In King Abdullah's defense I think he's tired of building compounds for deposed leaders, let's see Iddi Amin of Uganda was exiled there, now it looks like Ben Ali, and maybe Mubarak will be living in Saudi. And please God let Omar Bashir of Sudan end up there soon, or no better yet in a jail cell in the Hague.

I can picture the brochure advertising this compound that, it will read: Saudi Retreat, your palace away from your palace. Activities: group therapy with other deposed dictators, couples therapy with your wives, group pilgrimage to Mecca guaranteed absolution for rapacious greed, torturing and killing of one's citizens. Coming soon interfaith circle, and visits to the Vatican as we expect to receive Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe.

And not all monarchies are safe....Bahrain?