The article I read was about the continued instability in Bahrain.  Western nations' lack of support of the opposition has allowed the Bahraini government (along with the backing from Saudi Arabia) to take harsh measures to try to put down the rebellion.  The government has jailed many protesters and the implementation of martial law has allowed the police to brutalize the supposedly peaceful opposition.  The opposition varies in its radicalism.  Some camps, such as that of the February 14th Youth Coalition and the al-Haq want the current regime overthrown, while others just want reform.

The Arab Spring started with Tunisia because of the oppressive regiem that governed the country, which was a phenomena that was mirrored in many other neighboring countries.  The dictatorship was the first to fall, showing other countries in the region that oppressive governments could be overthrown.  I think that one of the greatest challenges that will/ has come of this will be avoiding the same problem the French had after they executed their king.  With one dictator gone, if another comes to power, who is to say he will be any better than the last?  There needs to be a political restructuring to ensure the preservation of the populous and safeguard against history's irking tendency to repeat itself.  A democratic government will undoubtedly benefit the country and help move towards eradicating the kind of social injustices that sparked the Arab Spring and if this is the road the Tunisian people chose for their country, perhaps the revolution will be considered successful.  Fortunately it seems that the Tunisian people will not allow another dictator to rule, as they are attempting a democratization process that should enable the populous to have a say in their political and social future.  In my mind, success would be measured by the rights of the people being observed and protected by their government, economic prosperity or at least stability, along with a continued expansion of industrialization and commercialization.