This a very brief note in the Atlantic, but it touches on a theme we covered in the classes where we read through Fed 10. Democracies tend to be disruptive. One way to look at the recent violence in Middle Eastern countries - the ones transformed by the "Arab Spring" - is that its a consequence of the demise of authoritarian rule. Not only are people increasingly free, they are free to express themselves in ways that might seem - excessive.
It probably worth comparing what's going on in the Middle East with our own episodes of violence to see if there's much difference between the two. Remember that the complaint against democracy was its tendency towards violence.
