I take the counter intuitive viewpoint/standpoint, I think this period of time could be an unmissable pivot point for humanity. The tragic loss of life in Egypt, Libya, Bahrain was totally avoidable and my worry is that the real power base that's existed in these areas for 30 years+ (the army) now seize control or enable the current despots to put further strangleholds on their people. But Libya is 'gone', the west won't/can't influence that one, which is why Clinton, Hague etc are deeply troubled, where's their next "son offa bitch" coming from? It can't be Gadaffi's son, that won't wash now. Libya could be the 'out of the blue' beacon of progress, not Egypt, and the west may well have to simply deal with the democracy the Libyans choose, not the one parachuted in by force/invasion..i.e. Iraq.
If the people in that massive region are let go and free to decide their future then peace could prevail. Dangers? Saudi won't fall to the populus without the USA intervening. Other big danger is the stealth by which the Iranians have moved an old warship through the Suez canal to park eventually in a Syrian port. Obama & Clinton must have been on the phone non stop to encourage Isreal to show restraint, that couple of old ships waving to Isreal as it passes their coastline must be pi55ing off the Isreali administration massively..Iran have gamed the US & Isreal there, in other times those ships would have been taken out in the straits.
We're passed peak oil, the west are struggling to keep their "son offa bitches" and despots all in place and under control with their usual industrial complex game theories; oil>money>threat of instability>arms>oil>money>threat of instability>arms....
The indigenous population of these regions should have benefitted more instead of being systematically raped for their natural resources and mineral wealth for decades by west govt's, under the disguise of their multi-nationals' free enterprise, whilst flooding the bank accounts of despots and criminals, hopefully it's their time to socialise that wealth.
Bad news? Oil at $200 per barrel inside the next 5 years and it's a game changer/leveller for us all. Our dependency on oil/fossil fuels can't end quickly enough for me. There will be nothing left then, other than peace..