“US Tried in Vain to Defeat Tunisian Revolution”

Authors: Mohammad Mazhari and Mohammad Azari

Publisher: Mehr News Agency

Date Published: 16 February 2016

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Article Summary

Tunisian officials say that the US failed to defeat the revolution. After five years, they have faced numerous challenges in the economic, security, and political areas. The government is allowing protests to happen saying its their natural right and that ISIL terrorists will take advantage. The only achievement of the revolution is the freedom of expression in media, as unemployment rose and economic growth is below 15%. The revolution has fulfilled its goals, as the government focuses on political conflicts instead of unemployment. Another revolution might start up again. We faced many foreign interests, like America, for example that wanted to challenge the role of France in Tunisia and wanted a military base for greater mobility in the region. Tunisia has been able to endure the post-hardships of the revolution, due to its civilized history, and arrive on a “beach of peace and quiet”. Areas of land with one type on government led people to protest and that foreign powers have replaced emerging revolutions with their own plots and projects. Tunisia is a traditional country and doesn’t need a Marshall Plan, a failed western plot to help it along. The revolution was at first an economic one, but spread to political reform and the US tried to a different way to stifle the voice of Tunisian people. The biggest challenge is to transform the country’s economic and political fields. To stop the protests of unemployment, to increase the economic growth rate to 6% a year, and to stop terrorism.

Triumph, reforms, and freedom are the main value from the article ‘US tried in vain to defeat Tunisian Revolution’. Triumph because the successfully changed from an Autocratic leader to a democratic government. They showed to the government and to other countries that a revolution can succeed and overthrow them from power. From that value, comes another one which is that of reforms. Rawa Kassem says that the people wanted “serious political reform in areas like freedom and democracy” (Mazhari). He talks about how the people of Tunisia, now with a democratic government desire more reforms allowing them the final value, freedom. They focus on freedom to do what they want and freedom from other nations interest. Rawa says that freedom from other nations interest’s will go a long way to helping to ground Tunisia’s new government.

Guiding Questions

Was the Tunisian Revolution successful?

What policies should the people of Tunisia now pursue?

What should have been or should be the role of the West in the Tunisian Revolution and its aftermath?