“Pillars Of Sand”

Daniel Korski and Ben Judah:

The three pillars upon which Western influence in the Middle East was built — a strong military presence, commercial ties, and a string of dollar-dependent states — are crumbling. As a result, the region that emerges in the weeks and months ahead may become much harder for the West to influence.

It is very important to remember that what happens next is still a big unknown. There is still the possibility that the West shows great generosity during the transition and as a result, it gets even deeper influence (this time the relationship could be straight with the people) in the region..

There’s also the potential for reverse immigration if Arab countries stabilize, democratize and thrive. Egyptians and Tunisians who lived for years in the US, Canada and Europe could come back to their countries and bring with them all sorts of cultural and commercial influences.