Where are they now? Tyrants and Despots.

They say a week is a long time in politics but if you are a dictator; a year is a life time. Here we see a picture taken a year ago of the smiling, confident and reigning despots but after the Arab spring life has taken on a whole new colour.

Mubarak lies on a hospital bed charged with crimes against the people of Egypt and cuts a pitiful character and instead of being waited on hand and foot he is slopping out with the rest of the inmates.

Gadaffi is in hiding, possibly in a basement in Libya and instead of a throne has to use a bucket in the corner like the rest of his halve starved compatriots.

Both these oil rich countries have suffered years of underinvestment and underachievement and the emphasis must be now on serving the people. Let the people benefit from the oil wealth but the truth seems that the only people that will benefit are, as ever, Anglo-American corporate oil interests that are faceless, nameless, antihuman organisations that seem more powerful than sovereign states.

Which other tyrants will fall next?

One can live in hope.

Peace. In the MiddleEast, as Tupac was fond of saying.