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Tunisia basically has a choice ahead: whether to continue as the IMF’s, the World Bank’s and Europe’s alleged best pupil in the Arab classroom, with the mixed resultsthat are plain for everyone to see, or to decide for itself, according to its own interests and sovereign decisions, what path and what policies to adopt, whether it be in the foreign policy, domestic policy or economic policy fields. Tunisia can chose to be like Turkey, Brazil, India or Malaysia, or it can pursue in its post-colonial striving for acceptance and the occasional pat on the head by its Western partners, a path followed by Jordan or Morocco with limited success.

For all practical purposes, this is the kind of government that Benali could have appointed himself had he had more brains – his last speech actually outlined exactly this sort of government, and he actually met with some opposition members before being deposed.

The Tunisian people have ousted the dictator, but they haven’t yet got rid of his institutional and political legacy. This is just the beginning, if democracy is to take hold.

in a post-9/11 world, any non-state actor caught throwing a stone, be it the first stone or the thousandth, risks total warfare under the guise of counterinsurgency

Mass, sustained civil disobedience at the corporate headquarters of insurance 'providers' and banks and petrol companies remains a long way off. Instead, Koch-funded campaigns continue to succeed at electing Republican governors who then refuse federal money to build high-speed rail networks . (See Wisconsin, Ohio, Florida, and more to come. Special shoutout to New Jersey.) When Americans begin to thirst for health care, re-pedestrianised cities, and the return of usury laws with the same fervor that Egyptians have shown in clamouring for democracy and the rule of law, only then will we know the revolution is here.

The coming constitutional showdown between human law and divine law in the revolutionary Arab states may turn on the question of gay rights and sexual freedom generally

The Islamic threat is always a foolproof mean to spread confusion especially when targeted toward the younger population. The threat of the communist unbelievers will irritate even the moderate Muslims. Add to all that the ongoing refugee crisis on the border and you’ve got a very confused Tunisian who just wants to get over with this whole mess.

The chain reaction that started in Sidi Bouzid and spread around the country (and later throughout the whole region), will mark the beginning of a new era of global politics. The imperial forces are watching with awe their mighty shepherds being defied, chased away and trampled underfoot by the angry mobs of people who simply hit rock bottom and didn’t have much to lose but their balls and chains. A true grassroot movement, with no leadership to be held accountable, left the imperial forces puzzled by the situation. With no one to antagonize (as in the case of Cuba, Venezuela, El Salvador, Iraq…), they had no choice but play along the “Revolution” game while trying to implement a damage control strategy behind the scene.

no role model to aspire to

"Increasing the roles of unions will ruffle some feathers and will have a direct negative impact on FDI in the short term," said Mr Nuseibeh. "This does not necessarily mean that FDI will decrease in the medium or long terms or threaten current foreign investments."

greater union activity in the country could deter foreign investors

Union activity in Tunisia is potentially going to give a negative image for the country