One word: unemployment
Two words: youth bulge
Combined, these three words are a recipe for disaster the world over, and now being witnessed across the Middle East in riots and protests responding to an unnecessary film. It is ironic that many of those protesting (mainly men in the pictures) will turn tomorrow to look toward American products. Today protesters will attack an embassy or any other symbol of America. Tomorrow (or whichever day in the future one chooses to select) they will buy American products: Nike, Pepsi, etc. Why is it that a separation between an individual action and the collective will of society cannot be made? Is it that there's a connection between the freedoms that exist in the West and the hate that the West allows to be spewed? There is. Is there value in those freedoms that exists in excess of any negative side effects? There is.
Mass unemployment coupled with large youth populations are correlated with violence (a couple of studies are here, and here). Note that there are nuances and correlation does not imply causation. Nonetheless, it is these youth bulges and unemployment that has caused significant concern, and have been widely overlooked as a problem that will resolve itself with time. It won't. While governance is a significant issue, the type of governance that the West promotes resides with the people. If the people cannot be satisfied, governance will collapse. Therefore, the essence of aid and assistance should not be solely focused on forming governments and elections. Employment, including the institutions necessary for it, should also be at the focus. Once this crisis, like the ones that came before it, calm, it is important that the West, upon reflection, recognizes that providing populations with a means is just as important as providing them with heads of state.
