It appears that the current term for the recently successful democratic revolution in Egypt is “Lotus Revolution”. It technically isn’t a color but is still considered to be one of the color revolutions that started with the mass social movements in various formerly-USSR states in the early 2000s. I keep wondering where these names come from. The Tunisian one that ended with the ouster of President Ben Ali has been the Jasmine Revolution, which isn’t a color either but does at least share a plant theme. The failed movement in Iran in 2009 was called the Green Revolution and that one certainly is a color.

Still, even the revolutions in the former-USSR states weren’t always named after colors. I think things started with the Rose Revolution of Georgia in 2004, which appropriately enough is both a plant and a color. But it really became a trend only with the Orange Revolution of Ukraine later that year. Next came the Tulip Revolution of Kyrgyzstan in 2005. Strangely enough, it seems that the red-shirt protests of Thailand in 2010 doesn’t count even though I distinctly remember them evoking the spirit of the earlier movements.

I don’t really have much to comment on them except to say that I’m all for democracy, even if the will of the people means that the new governments are less friendly to the West. Having Islamist parties come into power is certainly a real possibility but in the long run, I do not believe that this is something to be feared. In fact, I believe that this will be a critical step in enabling the Islamists around the world reconcile themselves to democratic values and find their place in the world. It is one thing to be express extremist views in opposition to gain popularity but as such movements as Hamas has learned, it is quite another to do the same when you’re running the government where compromise is routine and wooing the moderate middle becomes critical.