The so-called Arab Spring generated a wave of hope among those fighting or advocating for democratization of the Arab world's authoritarian regimes.
Now, following leadership changes in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen, and with a brutal civil war raging in Syria and increasingly fraught conditions in Bahrain, Sudan, Jordan and Iraq, there is much talk of a major shift — and hope for improvement — in the nature and prospects of the Arab state.
But hope — "the thing with feathers," as the American poet Emily Dickinson put it — often bears little resemblance to realities on the ground. Indeed, looking earthward, the beauty of the Arab Spring seems to have given way to an almost unbearable winter.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.