How's that democracy thing working out in Egypt and Tunisia?

by Rick Moran

Truth be told - not so good. Crackdowns by the "new governments" (who look a lot like the "old governments) continue.

The Beeb reports that three were killed in Tunisia during demonstrations against the new government:.

Three people have been killed in clashes between hundreds of demonstrators and security forces in the Tunisian capital, authorities say.

Police used tear gas, batons and live ammunition to disperse demonstrators outside the interior ministry in Tunis.

Police and masked men in civilian clothes, armed with sticks, moved through streets looking for protesters.

The protest comes a day after police cleared huge crowds from the streets demanding the prime minister resign.

That was the biggest rally since President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali fled after weeks of unrest.

The fighting went on for several hours on Saturday, as protesters tried to storm the interior ministry, right in the centre of Tunis, and police repeatedly repelled their attacks, says the BBC's Paul Moss in Tunis.

In a statement, the interior ministry said: "Three people died from the dozen who were wounded during clashes and were transferred to hospital for treatment... Several members of the security forces were wounded to different degrees," it said without giving a number.

"How You Gonna' Keep 'Em Down On The Farm After They've Seen Paree?" The people have had a taste of freedom and want to finish what they've started.

Meanwhile in Egypt, the military apologized for bashing some heads in during a Tahrir Square demonstration yesterday. The Los Angeles Times:

Egypt's ruling military council apologized Saturday after military police used truncheons and electric shock batons against late-night protesters in Tahrir Square, birthplace of the country's nascent democracy.

About 25 people were arrested and others were treated for injuries after the soldiers chased several hundred protesters from the downtown crossroads shortly after midnight, witnesses and the army said.

The episode was the first direct confrontation between the protesters who toppled longtime President Hosni Mubarak on Feb. 11 and the military authorities who have governed since. The army remains widely popular here, and senior commanders quickly blamed subordinates for acting without authority.

In an announcement, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces said it regretted what it called "unintentional confrontations between the military police and the youth of the revolution."

And if you believe those confrontations were "unintentional," I have a pyramid I'd like to sell you.

The bottom line is the same as it was a couple of weeks ago; both countries have far, far, to go to even get a sniff of "democracy." The chances that their efforts will be derailed along the way are overwhelming. Kicking out a dictator is one thing. Establishing democratic institutions and procedures is quite another.

Original URL: http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2011/02/hows_that_democracy_thing_work.html

Rick Moran

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