Remember 1989

SSC's post below should not be scoffed at as wishful thinking. It is often forgotten how quickly events unfolded in Eastern Europe in 1989:

On August 23, 1989 Hungary opened the iron curtain to Austria.Months before East German tourists used their chance to escape to Austria from Hungary and in September 1989 more than 13 000 East German escaped via Hungary within three days. It was the first mass exodus of East Germans after the erection of the Berlin Wall in 1961.Mass demonstrations against the government and the system in East Germany begun at the end of September and took until November 1989. Erich Honecker, East Germany's head of state, had to resign on October 18, 1989.The new governement prepared a new law to lift the travel restrictions for East German citizen.At 06.53 pm on November 9, 1989 a member of the new East German government was asked at a press conference when the new East German travel law comes into force.He answered: "Well, as far as I can see, ... straightaway, immediately."Thousands of East Berliners went to the border crossings. At Bornholmer Strasse the people demanded to open the border and at 10.30 pm the border was opened there.That moment meant the end of the Berlin Wall.Soon other border crossing points opened the gates to the WestIn that night the deadly border was opened by East Germans peacefully. Read more here.

Of course we should also remember that Hungary 1956 and Prague 1968 were put down by the Soviets delaying the collapse for many years.

Could we be witnessing another 1989.... Imagine this, if Demos control Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria by the time we roll into 2006, the rest will fall soon enough. We shall see.