Revolutions Of 1848

Turkish President Tells Bibi: Time for You to Adapt to a New Political Climate

The wave of uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa is of historic significance equal to that of the revolutions of 1848 and 1989 in Europe. The peoples of the region, without exception, revolted not only in the name of universal values but also to regain their long-suppressed national pride and dignity.

But whether these uprisings lead to democracy and peace or to tyranny and conflict will depend on forging a lasting Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement and a broader Israeli-Arab peace.

The plight of the Palestinians has been a root cause of unrest and conflict in the region and is being used as a pretext for extremism in other corners of the world. Israel, more than any other country, will need to adapt to the new political climate in the region.

But it need not fear; the emergence of a democratic neighborhood around Israel is the ultimate assurance of the country’s security.

A Muslim president of a predominantly Muslim nation, Gul also has advice for the President of the United States:

Moreover, it is my firm conviction that the United States has a long-overdue responsibility to side with international law and fairness when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. The international community wants the United States to act as an impartial and effective mediator between Israel and the Palestinians, just as it did a decade ago. Securing a lasting peace in the Middle East is the greatest favor Washington can do for Israel.

Since Israel’s Occupation is the “root cause” of unrest in the region, Turkey wants Israel to act now to reach a peace agreement with the Palestinians. And he expects the US to be a helpful partner in dealing with that “root cause” of unrest.

No historical parallel is ever exact. But parallels from history are very much in Gul’s thinking.

The 1848 revolution in Europe, which began with the French Revolution, spread across Europe, taking different forms and moving at different speeds. In 1989, the uprisings in Europe began with the fall of the Berlin Wall.

The current Arab uprising began in Tunisia and Egypt. Now it has erupted in Libya, Syria, Bahrain and Yemen. As was the case in both 1848 and 1989, the 2011 uprising is having, and will continue to have, mixed results and follow different paths.

Middle East cries for Democracy following dangerous parallels with ...

Could It Be 1848 In The Islamic World?- Bill Collier

In 1848, the European world witnessed a broad and deep uprising for Freedom that very nearly toppled all the autocrats of the day. The crowds, massing and rioting, storming barricades, forced unprecedented concessions and almost all the major powers, with the exception of England, very nearly saw the end of Monarchies. Berlin, Paris, Moscow, and Vienna all quaked in fear of a popular uprising.

1848 was the year the Swiss Federal charter was created, a document that largely guides Swiss political society to this day, but everywhere that “democracy” seemed to triumph it was ultimately suppressed, save for the Swiss.

In France, the King fell and Louis Napoleon, grandson of THE Napoleon, became the leader where, 4 years later, he declared the Second French Empire, which collapsed under Prussian guns in 1870-1871.

In most of Europe, initial victories and concessions, rapturously celebrated, gave way to brutal suppression, violence, and death.

It turns out the “1848′ers” had no experience with democracy, were naive about the nature of their enemies, and could not detect, much less stop, unscrupulous opportunists from hijacking their revolution for their own ends.

What we are seeing in the Islamic world is an awakening of Freedom, but its practitioners seem ill equipped, and ill-informed to conduct themselves in a manner that preserves their new-found democracy or safeguards their revolution from hijackers, like Louis Napoleon.

It is possible, but we hope not probable, that 2011 will see a nascent freedom movement gain early victories and yet fail to consolidate their gains or keep the wolves out of the sheepfold. If this happens, we will see more harsh suppression of the People by the NEW bosses who emerge or the OLD bosses who re-gather their strength and decide to act decisively.

Ultimately, Freedom will win, even in the Islamic world, but the question is this- will today’s 1848′ers be smarter than yesterday’s 1848′ers?

Revolutions of 1848, a social history

The European revolutions, 1848-1851

The revolutions of 1848

The revolutions of 1848

The revolutions of 1848