Imran Malik The West inspired and contrived 'Arab Spring is a strange concoction. Although it endeavours to unshackle many people from the yokes of tyranny, yet at the same time it overlooks others under equally diabolical, but friendly-to-the-West regimes This dichotomy in policy casts serious doubts on the justness and fairness of its cause. Some see it plainly as the Wests garb to grab oil, as in the case of Libya. The Arab Spring will be a harbinger of massive change at the global level, as it continues to sweep the Middle East and North Africa - toppling dictators to ostensibly usher in democracy. It will spread to unintended dimensions as well. Thus, by default, it will right the wrong so far in its just application. It also has the potential of laying down new paradigms for peoples existence worldwide. As this movement spreads, people will continue to become exponentially empowered. This peoples power will be the main initiator, catalyst and agent of change. It will force a paradigm shift on all governments to make their policies purely people-centric in deed and intent. The Arab Spring is dismantling and destroying the old, decadent and dictatorial power structures in the Middle East and North Africa. The likes of Egypts Hosni Mubarak, Tunisias Ali, Yemens Saleh and Libyas Qaddafi have bitten the dust already. Syrias Bashar Al-Asad may soon follow suit. The West has barely rescued Bahrain, while other Arab monarchies/countries are feverishly pushing reconciliatory people-friendly programmes into top gear to obviate similar fates. Libya makes an interesting case study. The Wests sudden rush of love for a people suffering under Qaddafi was commendable and heart-warming - ironically, it was just about 42 years and a couple of generations too late The methodology applied was direct and simple. A spineless and pliant UNO passed a dictated resolution to sort out Qaddafi. The actual aim, however, was the pursuit of oil In this case, it was the military operations of NATO led from behind by the USA, which caused the regime change. The main active participants were a suddenly appearing indigenous (?) resistance movement, the UK, France and Italy amongst other NATO members. These very Western powers will now instigate a civil war between the different Libyan factions. Upheavals and controlled chaos will help create the environment for them to manoeuvre into and exploit to their utter advantage. Their multinationals will then move into to take control of Libyas oil industry. Mission accomplished. This model will likely be repeated in most oil-rich Arab countries as well as Iran. In the next phase, this peoples power will, by default, threaten the dictatorial pro-West monarchies in the Arab and Third World at large. Under popular pressure, the monarchs will have to abdicate executive power to the people. They will either convert themselves into democratic monarchies, or become pure Peoples Republics. Change is inevitable. The third phase will see the peoples power work against the decadent and corrupt so-called democratic governments in the Third World countries, like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sub-Saharan Africa etc. Anna Hazares movement will inspire many more of his callings to emerge in blatantly unequal societies where the rich-poor gap continues to widen by the minute. Rampant corruption, brutalisation of society, social insecurity and injustice, unequal opportunities for growth, unemployment, poor education, food scarcity, unbridled population growth and the ascent of blatantly unqualified, undeserving, corrupt, manipulating rulers/ruling parties are inadvertently creating the environments for change. Pakistan fits this bill precisely. It is ripening and crying for change. Democracy sans moral and ethical values, integrity and principles is worse than a decadent military dictatorship - and that describes Pakistans current political dispensation perfectly Its parliamentarians have criminally cheated the nation by getting elected on bogus votes and by proffering bogus educational degrees, have filed bogus tax returns and bogus declarations of their assets A sizeable number maintain their assets, wealth, homes, families, businesses, investments, factories et al abroad. They, thus, have no stakes at all in the wellbeing of the country they (mis)rule/govern This government on its part is systematically raping, looting and destroying all State enterprises and institutions. The flight of capital is endemic. Economically, we are fast nose-diving to basket case status To save itself from meaningful prosecution, the government has deliberately destroyed vital national institutions like the FIA, NAB and has shamelessly shackled Parliament, bureaucracy and judiciary. Its attempts to do the same to the armed forces mercifully failed. Why then should the people tolerate such a corrupt political dispensation? The contention that there is democracy in Pakistan and a vibrant press/media to vent ones feelings is rather misplaced. This self-serving democracy sans values just does not have the spunk to weather this gathering storm. Rather it will collapse on itself. The age of change is upon us. We can either manage it or be overtaken by it. Pakistan and its politicians beware Thus, one can expect that the fallout of the Arab Spring will spread rapidly in many unintended regions of the world. The genie of peoples power, personal freedoms and rights is out of the bottle. It is not likely to go back in now. The Arab Spring has and will precipitate regime changes worldwide. It will be prudent for all governments and peoples to sense this pending shift in the paradigms that will then govern our interdependent societies. The governments have to become more people friendly and sensitive to their aspirations. More equitable and just social systems are the need of the hour. A comprehensive international plan needs to be drawn up to manage this inescapable global change. Unmanaged change will lead to civil wars, upheavals, chaos, disorder, death and destruction with untold attendant ramifications. Clearly, the West and the world will get much more than they bargained for in the Arab Spring The author is a retired brigadier and former defence attach to Australia and New Zealand. Email: im_k@hotmail.com