Metwaly, another protestor in Tahrir Square, argued, “Now
you see Muslims and Christians together, now you see old
and young together, all wanting the same thing.” We’ll see
that such a broad movement in society was a key part of
what happened in these other political transformations. If
we understand when and why such transitions occur, we will
be in a better position to evaluate when we expect such
movements to fail as they have often done in the past and
when we may hope that they will succeed and improve the
lives of millions.