To float one's eyes over a map of the Middle East, is to see a region in distress. Revolution or not, the Arab region has not been faring well for a while and has been failing to get out of deadlock political situations and economic black holes.
While Egypt looks to be getting somewhere with its first free presidential elections coming to fruition, all eyes are on the blood baths in Syria and free elections may be harbingers to rougher times ahead, even if freely chosen. Syria's revolution is nowhere near getting off the ground in terms of people's will being heard. Iran & Russia are allegedly helping Assad with weapons.
While Lebanon seemed to have weathered the Harirri tribunal storm it might not have escaped the Syria spillover. And we all know how volatile the Cedar state is, prone to flaring up when aggravated by neighbors.
Iraq looks to be going nowhere promising. A series of bombs have blasted Baghdad and politicians with their sectarian power-battles are implicated. Erbel in the north does however tell a different story. But the Kurdish region has had a lot of investments pouring in and economic prosperity gives them more than a fighting chance. But Erbel is a patch and probably an anomaly in a region of arguably failure on failure.
Tunisia shows a picture today of corruption, insecurity and financial and social ills that gave rise to revolution in the first place - all still unsovled post-revolution. And this was supposed to be the Jasmine pioneer. The Islamic hardliners are leading the way to signs of a Salafist take over regionally.
Even after violence and war fatigue has set in, with added Arab Spring fatigue to boot, Arab states are still managing to impress the world audience anew with their continued flagrant failures, stale and freshly brewed.
Here's a roundup of the miserable state of Middle Eastern affairs today.
Do you agree or take issue with the statement that the Middle East is a bit of a miserable mess just now more than ever? Have your say in the comment space below.
