2001: Two airplanes crash and kill 3000 people. The aftermath of this tragedy was more than just cleaning up und burring the dead. It was a turning point in democracy. It triggered measures to ensure security by limiting liberties. The "war on terror" was a war on democracy. It hindered peace in the world and recreated the state prior to the fall of the iron certain. But instead of West and East, it was a crusade against Islamic. The credo US President G.W. Bush declared was clear: "With or against us".
Within weeks, the year 2011, became another turning point for democracy. Instead of a cowboy madman a black youngster rests in the White House. He became a symbol for a new hope and is just the tip of the iceberg. Tunisia, Egypt and Libya showed the world how potent people can get, if they are willing for real changes. And yesterday the man who gave the reason for the democratic downturn died: Osama bin Laden.
However, we shouldn’t judge the situation too fast. The wars in the middle east aren’t over yet. The devastation is going to need aid for decades, while the soldiers meant to peace the region only evoke more insecurity with their presence. The terror organizations won’t die out, just because one man is down and the democratization of the revolting countries isn’t yet done. To conclude, we have potentially reached the tipping point. We can still fall back in medieval circumstances. However, if this works out well, this year will be written in very big letters in the history books.
