The Bomb Was Horrifying. The Alternatives Would Have Been Worse.
Historical records show that dropping atomic bombs was the least bad option.
List of Arab Spring articles
![Protesters wave Israeli flags in front of a large banner showing a scowling Benjamin Netanyahu.]()
Protesters wave Israeli flags in front of a large banner showing a scowling Benjamin Netanyahu.
Netanyahu Faces His Own ‘Israeli Spring’
Protesters in Israel are rallying to oppose an extremist and fundamentalist government that is trying to change the status quo and reshape the country’s character.
![Jordanian Gendarmerie forces arrest a protester in the Jordan Valley.]()
Jordanian Gendarmerie forces arrest a protester in the Jordan Valley.
Awash in U.S. Aid, Jordan Escalates Repression
A street vendor’s plight highlights violations that Washington would prefer to ignore.
![A billboard depicting Tunisian President Kais Saied hangs on the side of a building in the east-central city of Kairouan, on July 26.]()
A billboard depicting Tunisian President Kais Saied hangs on the side of a building in the east-central city of Kairouan, on July 26.
Democracy Fades in the Arab Spring’s Success Story
Few restraints remain for Tunisian strongman Kais Saied after his constitutional referendum passed overwhelmingly and opposition parties boycotted the vote.
![Tunisian military forces guard the area around the parliament building in Tunis, Tunisia, on July 26.]()
Tunisian military forces guard the area around the parliament building in Tunis, Tunisia, on July 26.
Keep Tunisia’s Military Out of Politics
President Kais Saied has broken a 65-year taboo.
![Syrian President Bashar al-Assad sits along side Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, east of Beirut, on July 30, 2010.]()
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad sits along side Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, east of Beirut, on July 30, 2010.
Assad Is Friends With the Arab World Again
After 10 years of war, Syria’s erstwhile enemies are welcoming it back in from the cold.
![A supporter of Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, then Egypt’s army chief, holds a military boot on her head in a sign of support for military rule in Cairo on Jan. 28, 2014.]()
A supporter of Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, then Egypt’s army chief, holds a military boot on her head in a sign of support for military rule in Cairo on Jan. 28, 2014.
Sisi Learned the Wrong Lessons From Mubarak’s Fall
Wanton repression is building up more pressure for the next uprising.
![A Tunisian woman carrying a dog gestures with her middle finger at police officers during a demonstration in Tunis on Jan. 30.]()
A Tunisian woman carrying a dog gestures with her middle finger at police officers during a demonstration in Tunis on Jan. 30.
Ben Ali’s Ghost Still Haunts Tunisia
The Arab Spring’s democratic success story is wrestling with the vestiges of an authoritarian past.
![German Chancellor Angela Merkel poses for a selfie with Anas Modamani, a refugee from Syria, after she visited the AWO Refugium Askanierring shelter for migrants and refugees on Sept. 10, 2015 in Berlin, Germany.]()
German Chancellor Angela Merkel poses for a selfie with Anas Modamani, a refugee from Syria, after she visited the AWO Refugium Askanierring shelter for migrants and refugees on Sept. 10, 2015 in Berlin, Germany.
The Arab Spring Changed Everything—in Europe
A decade after Arabs started a regional revolution, it’s the neighboring continent that will never be the same.
![A near-empty square in Stockholm]()
A near-empty square in Stockholm
Our Top Weekend Reads
Swedes can’t figure out their government’s coronavirus approach, a progressive push on U.S. foreign policy, and an honest assessment of the Arab Spring’s fallout.
![A man mourns the death of seven members of a family in Syria]()
A man mourns the death of seven members of a family in Syria
Betrayed by Their Leaders, Failed by the West, Arabs Still Want Democracy
The Arab world is trapped in a state of permanent revolution.
![Tunisians wave national flags to mark the fifth anniversary of the 2011 revolution on Jan. 14, 2016.]()
Tunisians wave national flags to mark the fifth anniversary of the 2011 revolution on Jan. 14, 2016.
Tunisia’s Decade of Democracy
Ten years after the Arab Spring, Tunisians are discovering that political reform alone isn’t enough.
![A demonstration in Tunis in December 2010]()
A demonstration in Tunis in December 2010
The Arab Spring Let the People Shout, Not Whisper
I was a teenage protester, then a prisoner, now a refugee. We won’t go back to silence.
![A woman cries in Tahrir Square after it is announced that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was giving up power Feb. 11, 2011 in Cairo, Egypt.]()
A woman cries in Tahrir Square after it is announced that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was giving up power Feb. 11, 2011 in Cairo, Egypt.
Arab Dignity Is Real. So Is Arab Failure.
Ten years after the start of the Arab Spring, it’s time to accept that the revolution may never return.
![A soldier runs for cover in Libya.]()
A soldier runs for cover in Libya.
The End of Hope in the Middle East
The region has always had problems—but it’s now almost past the point of recovery.
![Santiago Demonstrators Clash With Police Over Food Supply]()
Santiago Demonstrators Clash With Police Over Food Supply
Food Price Spikes and Social Unrest: The Dark Side of the Fed’s Crisis-Fighting
Emergency monetary policies produce an unintended consequence: rising food prices around the world.
![A Lebanese protester confronts soldiers during ongoing anti-government demonstrations in Lebanon's southern city of Sidon on Nov. 1.]()
A Lebanese protester confronts soldiers during ongoing anti-government demonstrations in Lebanon's southern city of Sidon on Nov. 1.
Lebanon Has Suffered From Sectarianism for Too Long
Mass protests could put an end to the ethnic clientelism that has empowered corrupt leaders. But demonstrators must stand their ground or risk being co-opted like those who rose up in 2005.
![U.S. President Donald Trump greets Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in the West Wing of the White House in Washington on April 3, 2017.]()
U.S. President Donald Trump greets Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in the West Wing of the White House in Washington on April 3, 2017.
Trump to Arab Protesters: I Stand With Your Rulers, Not You
As demonstrations erupt from Iraq to Lebanon to Egypt, the United States is sending strong signals that it no longer has any stomach for democracy promotion.
![Policemen and residents demonstrate in the office of the main policy labor union in Tunis, Tunisia on Oct. 28, 2013.]()
Policemen and residents demonstrate in the office of the main policy labor union in Tunis, Tunisia on Oct. 28, 2013.
Tunisia’s Authoritarians Learn to Love Liberalism
Police unions are using their country’s newfound freedoms to protect themselves—and attack freedom fighters.
![Algerian protesters wave a national flag as they take part in a demonstration in the capital of Algiers on May 3.]()
Algerian protesters wave a national flag as they take part in a demonstration in the capital of Algiers on May 3.
How Algerians Ousted Bouteflika
On the podcast: Algeria’s Arab Spring has been peaceful so far, but its future remains uncertain.
![Students demonstrate in Algiers, Algeria on March 12, 2019, one day after President Abdelaziz Bouteflika announced his withdrawal from a bid to win another term in office. (Ryad Kramdi/AFP/Getty Images)]()
Students demonstrate in Algiers, Algeria on March 12, 2019, one day after President Abdelaziz Bouteflika announced his withdrawal from a bid to win another term in office. (Ryad Kramdi/AFP/Getty Images)
Don’t Get Your Hopes Up About Algeria
The Middle East’s latest protests seem like the Arab Spring all over again. That’s no reason for optimism.
Netanyahu Faces His Own ‘Israeli Spring’
Protesters in Israel are rallying to oppose an extremist and fundamentalist government that is trying to change the status quo and reshape the country’s character.
Awash in U.S. Aid, Jordan Escalates Repression
A street vendor’s plight highlights violations that Washington would prefer to ignore.
Democracy Fades in the Arab Spring’s Success Story
Few restraints remain for Tunisian strongman Kais Saied after his constitutional referendum passed overwhelmingly and opposition parties boycotted the vote.
Keep Tunisia’s Military Out of Politics
President Kais Saied has broken a 65-year taboo.
Assad Is Friends With the Arab World Again
After 10 years of war, Syria’s erstwhile enemies are welcoming it back in from the cold.
Sisi Learned the Wrong Lessons From Mubarak’s Fall
Wanton repression is building up more pressure for the next uprising.
Ben Ali’s Ghost Still Haunts Tunisia
The Arab Spring’s democratic success story is wrestling with the vestiges of an authoritarian past.
The Arab Spring Changed Everything—in Europe
A decade after Arabs started a regional revolution, it’s the neighboring continent that will never be the same.
Our Top Weekend Reads
Swedes can’t figure out their government’s coronavirus approach, a progressive push on U.S. foreign policy, and an honest assessment of the Arab Spring’s fallout.
Betrayed by Their Leaders, Failed by the West, Arabs Still Want Democracy
The Arab world is trapped in a state of permanent revolution.
Tunisia’s Decade of Democracy
Ten years after the Arab Spring, Tunisians are discovering that political reform alone isn’t enough.
The Arab Spring Let the People Shout, Not Whisper
I was a teenage protester, then a prisoner, now a refugee. We won’t go back to silence.
Arab Dignity Is Real. So Is Arab Failure.
Ten years after the start of the Arab Spring, it’s time to accept that the revolution may never return.
The End of Hope in the Middle East
The region has always had problems—but it’s now almost past the point of recovery.
Food Price Spikes and Social Unrest: The Dark Side of the Fed’s Crisis-Fighting
Emergency monetary policies produce an unintended consequence: rising food prices around the world.
Lebanon Has Suffered From Sectarianism for Too Long
Mass protests could put an end to the ethnic clientelism that has empowered corrupt leaders. But demonstrators must stand their ground or risk being co-opted like those who rose up in 2005.
Trump to Arab Protesters: I Stand With Your Rulers, Not You
As demonstrations erupt from Iraq to Lebanon to Egypt, the United States is sending strong signals that it no longer has any stomach for democracy promotion.
Tunisia’s Authoritarians Learn to Love Liberalism
Police unions are using their country’s newfound freedoms to protect themselves—and attack freedom fighters.
How Algerians Ousted Bouteflika
On the podcast: Algeria’s Arab Spring has been peaceful so far, but its future remains uncertain.
Don’t Get Your Hopes Up About Algeria
The Middle East’s latest protests seem like the Arab Spring all over again. That’s no reason for optimism.
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