Collagues and I were discussing this recently: the arc of history doe NOT naturally bend towards justice. If you want to stop oppression, corruption, torture, wars, discrimination&demand accountability, you will have to enforce your values w/actions. This is almost always AGAINST

the natural arc. It requires one to be brave enough to call out perpetrators ("all sides" is often untruthful), requires tolerance of discomfort, and sometimes requires infliction of short-term pain for long-term stability. Empowering rotten status quos can become a crime.

Many in the region have lived and taught us this first hand and have sacrificed all comforts to change the status quo. All my respect goes to them. But what is mind boggling are those far away from the scene, who selectively criticize governments in the MENA but who refuse

to alter policy in tangible ways that would at minimum allow perpetrators to be held to account. Responsible policy makers cannot keep bailing out the same individuals who create the cycles of instability. It doesn't make us heartless to do this; it means we're learning lessons.