Question

7. In the article, Roger Cohen writes, “Revolutions, Islamic and otherwise, seldom deliver on all of their promises, and a clear external enemy can serve as a useful diversion from internal problems.”

Identify at least one other revolution from your study of history that supports Cohen’s claim and explain it is an example.

Answer 1

Answer: in Libya in 1969 there was a coup d'état, also known as the al-Fateh Revolution or the 1 September Revolution, accomplished by the Free Officers Movement, a group of military officers led by Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, which led to the overthrow of King Idris I.

On 1 September 1969, a group of about 70 young army officers known as the Free Officers Movement and enlisted men mostly assigned to the Signal Corps acquired control of the government and terminated the Libyan monarchy. The coup was launched at Benghazi; and, within two hours, it was achieved. Army units rapidly rallied in maintenance of the coup and, within a while, military control was established in Tripoli and elsewhere throughout the country. Popular acceptance of the coup, especially by younger people in the urban areas, was enthusiastic. The new government categorically refused communism – in large part because it was atheist – and officially advocated an Arab interpretation of socialism that mixed Islamic principles with social, economic, and political reform.

Muhammar Gaddafi was popular and then became a dictator dennounced as promoter of terrorism. What Baron Acton said it is very true: "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men..."

Gaddafi was talking about his enemies as they were rats and he was caught in a drain like the rodent he liked to mention. He was captured alive and then he was killed by an angry mob.

Answer 2

Another revolution that can serve as an example of this claim is the Cuban Revolution. The Cuban Revolution started with the promise of implementing communism in the island, and in this way liberating it from the control of foreign powers and Cuban oligarchies.

The revolution was supported by a lot of the people of Cuba, and it did deliver many of its promises. However, it fell short when compared to all the promises it had made before. Moreover, the revolution was able to find a clear external enemy in the United States. Cuba had reason to complain about the United States, but although this enmity was not fabricated, it allowed the revolution to use it as a diversion for its many other problems.