A wave of revolution — III

Canvassing the tide of change in Egypt, Syrians are asking what these uprisings may mean for them. The news of unrest in Cairo has brought a flutter of exhilaration to Syria, which is founded on principles that are similar to Egypt’s. Like Egypt, Syria has been ruled for decades by a sole party and a security service that maintains its throttlehold on its citizens. Both countries, in an effort to curb unemployment, were struggling to reform economies subdued for generations by central control.
Nevertheless, could the domino effect that spread from the streets of Tunis to Cairo soon hit Damascus? Probably yes. That is why smelling a rat before time, the Syrian government has blocked thousands of websites deemed opposed to state interests and has also banned Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other social networks.
Though the Syrian authorities have denied accusations of curtailing these services, the fact remains that they are afraid of a burgeoning middle class all across Damascus. The Saudis will need to build a whole village for Arab presidents once they run out of US-protected villas. But what if Saudi monarchs face the same challenge? After all, Syria and Egypt are not far from Saudi Arabia. If Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, Bashar-ul-Assad and Hosni Mubarak go in the same way as Ben Ali then the US will also have to revise its flawed policy of verbally pronouncing the ideal of democracy while practically backing monarchs and despotic rulers just for the sake of oil.

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Daily Times: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011%5C02%5C05%5Cstory_5-2-2011_pg3_7