Dictature is not a fatality in the Arab world
The idea that dictature is not a fatality in the Arab world is the leitmotif of Moncef Marzouki's book "
Dictateurs en sursis - Une voie démocratique pour le monde arabe"
Several Arab countries (such as Saudi Arabia, Lybia, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco) have authoritarian governments with a strong police and army. Although contexts may differ, their current situation is in many ways similar to Tunisia's and they could take inspiration from the Tunisian revolution.
The term “Arab Spring” has largely been discredited due to its overuse in recent years. The general idea was that the invasion and establishment of a democratic regime in Iraq would create a domino effect throughout the region. That clearly did not happen. But the Jasmine Revolution, if that is what it turns out to be, offers an organic movement for change coming from within and not from the outside. That offers far more potential for regional influence than US activities in the Gulf.