Revolution In Kyrgyzstan

The unrest could provide yet another blow to President Barack Obama's diplomatic efforts as his administration has been working with [deposed leader] Bakiyev to strengthen ties with the majority Muslim country in an effort to keep Manas air base -- a strategic refueling point located in Kyrgyzstan's capital Bishkek -- open. Strengthened U.S.-Kyrgyz relations has also been the focus of an effort to maintain a foothold in Central Asia, a region long under Russian influence and currently the object of Chinese interest as well.

Larison's take-away:

These are the fruits of yet another “color revolution” that far too many Westerners enthused about out of misguided idealism, weird anti-Russian hang-ups or ideological fantasies of a global democratic revolution.

As it turned out, Akayev may have been the best Kyrgyzstan was going to be able to get, and ever since he was deposed Kyrgyzstan has been less stable, governed less well, and now joins Georgia, Pakistan and Uzbekistan as a new scene of violent repression of civilian protesters by a U.S.-allied government. Might we begin to learn from this that foreign political clashes are not usually clearly-defined ideological contests between democrats and authoritarians, and that there is not much reason to celebrate the destabilization, political upheaval and disorder that such things usually involve?

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