Songs of Revolution - Spain, America, and France.....

Chapter 18-Revolutions and their Echos.......

As I read the chapter regarding the revolutions that took place in the world in America , France, Haiti and Latin America, I can't help but feel that the world is witnessing another surge of "massive political and social change" in North Africa and the Middle East.

In 2011 political talkig-heads have coined the phrase, "Arab Spring" to describe events in the Middle East and North Africa.

December 17, 2010 will, in my opinion, go down in history as the spark that caused this revolution.

On that fateful day in Tunisia, a man named Mohammed Bouazizi, had his vegetable cart confiscated by local authorities for lacking the proper seller's permit.

In protest to his treatment he set himself on-fire. Little did he know, he also set the world on fire which sparked the "Arab Spring". He became a cause celeb, and brought attention to Tunisia's deplorable living conditions, police violence, massive unemployment and lack of human rights, to the average Tunisian resident.

Much like Rosa Parks in the early 60's in America, who refused to sit in the back of the bus and triggered the "civil rights" movement. Arabs all across North Africa and the Middle-East were now demanding change from their autocratic and dictatorial rulers. Most importantly, this revolutionary call was not the work of Zionist's or Western Imperialists, but from Arabs themselves. No more could the West be blamed for unequal social, political and economic conditions in their respective countries.

Tunisia started a domino effect, and soon "change" was demanded in Egypt, Libya, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Yemen. In a few years you will be able to hail a taxi in Saudi Arabia that is driven by a women.

Folks, 25 years from now, we will tell our children and grand-children, that we were in college when the Middle East changed forever, and how it views itself on the world's stage. This is an extraordinary time in history.

This is what it must have been like in the world as America broke it's bonds with Great Briton in 1776. Similarly, revolution sparked a drive for independence in France in 1789, in Haiti in 1791 and in Spain in 1810.

This demand for liberty and equality were the seeds for reforms in the women's movements, and the demand for suffrage, and ultimately for the abolition of

world -wide slavery, and a cultural and linguistic nationalism which helped unite these new nations.

Change is inevitable.....the only sure things are muerta and taxes. So, hang on, enjoy the ride..and don't forget to smell the roses along the way.