Can we consolidate and breakdown "Play by Play" the revolts in the Middle East?

[R_P_A_S]

Hey guys! So much is going on in the last couple of weeks. Most of you are aware...

Tunisian
Egypt
Yemen
Now they are saying that Lebanon and Israel are flirting with possible war?
What about the Palestine w l k l l e a k s?

Are these revolutions... if we can even begin to call them that.. progressive in the sense that is NOT just some radical islamist group trying to gain control or yet an extension of the current trend of western-friendly dictators?

Does anyone know if there are any strong working class movements in the mix? Are we expecting a big change or just a change in power by the same middle easter oligarchy?

[Rocky Rococo]

I have no special insight into the character of the Tunisian movement, but I did happen to notice something in the YouTubes of the Tunisian uprising that I watched. Here are two different YouTubes, of different types from very different sources, both of which contain an image of Che within their first minute:

French news broadcast (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUc4k0of_x4)

Support video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03Y1MGqewr0)

It's possible that Che has simply become an icon of any kind of revolution anywhere. I for one have a hard time thinking of him removed from his ideological context though.

[R_P_A_S]

http://shabab6april.wordpress.com/shabab-6-april-youth-movement-about-us-in-english/

apparently these guys started it all in Egypt.

[Kilenee]

The Egyptian protests are decidedly secular. The Muslim Brotherhood has no idea what's going on and make themselves look like fools every time they open their mouths. I was watching Al Jazeera coverage of protesters chanting "Muslims, Christians, we are all Egyptians."
I'm not sure about Tunisia, the original movement was mainly characterized by its opposition to Ben Ali, not necessarily support of anything else. We'll see how that develops.
Protests in Jordan are motivated more by poverty and living conditions than religion.
But frankly, even if they are motivated by religion, that's no reason to condemn people fighting back against decades of oppression. You could call Liberation Theologists "radical religious extremists," but that would be completely missing the point.
Protests are also spreading to Syria and Sudan (I think).

I haven't heard anything about war between Lebanon and Israel though.