I just had to share this from Charles Stross. It's one of those perfectly formed rants that appears from the minds of certain commentators, especially people who can see The Long Now, like SciFi authors. http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2011/05/why-are-your-houses-so-heavy.html#comment-138913 My guess? The "Arab spring" was just the first major outburst of dissatisfaction with a world order that purports to be based on globalisation but which brings us repressive lack of opportunity for self-actualization at home, combined with the "shock treatment" of disaster capitalism and indirect rule by the paid shills of rich oligarchs. I'd be highly unsurprised to see echoes of the Arab spring throughout the soft-underbelly of the Euro-zone first (Spain, Portugal, Greece, Ireland -- Iceland already has it but isn't Euro-zone), then in the UK when the Cameronian cuts agenda begins to bite, and finally in the US.