i wonder whether a real transformation is taking place in the muslim dictatorships. my friend in yemen thinks so: thinks it already has inevitable momentum. it's always astonishing: things never change and you get hopeless and cynical. and then all of a sudden everything changes for completely unpredictable causes, like that self-immolation in tunisia. that's as true in individual as in collective life. this is one reason why the idea that we ought to have well-defined goals and administer circumstances to bring them about - what we tell our children, for example - is...impoverished. anyway, perhaps the iraq war kind of gave democracy a bad name and delayed these developments. or maybe not! anyway, it is inspiring when it happens, and this one could be world-transforming. on the other hand, never underestimate the power of a crackdown.