White Revolution?

Could the next of Russia’s children to leave home be Belarus? 15 Former Soviet Union states gained their independance in 1991, only to (mostly) be taken over by old-hand communist nomenklatura. In the past year we have seen 3 peaceful revolutions* where the people seemed to have learned to use their new-found civic rights after 10 years of “freedom.” It is too early to say, but take a look at what is currently happening in Minsk:

Protesters clash with police in Belarus, 150 people arrested
Pro-democracy protesters clashed with police in Minsk near the palace of Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko on Friday and 150 protesters were arrested, Russia’s Interfax news agency reported. The police made the arrests after some 1,000 pro-democracy protesters reportedly tried to gather near the presidential palace, demanding democratic reform.

The question that needs to be asked is when will this “big bang” of people-powered peaceful revolution meet the “big bang” of externally administered system perturbation of the Middle East? The CIS has gotten the reform fever over vast distances. When will the Arabs catch it? Can they?

__________

*It is still yet to be determined whether Kyrgyzstan will end peacefully. As noted elsewhere, Bishkek is in an orgy of looting etc.