THBT the Arab Spring was a success.

1. Syria:Syria, in 2011, had large Arab Spring uprisings across the country. As a by product of that, the government cracked down. Now, today, as the BBC reports:"More than 250,000 Syrians have lost their lives in four-and-a-half years of armed conflict, which began with anti-government protests before escalating into a full-scale civil war. More than 11 million others have been forced from their homes as forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and those opposed to his rule battle each other - as well as jihadist militants from Islamic State. This is the story of the civil war so far, in eight short chapters" [1]. Syria is in shambles. It is a cesspool of sectarian conflict, chemical warfare, extremism among rebels, and violence. The war has caused 250,000 to perish. It gave radical Islam groups and ISIS a strong foothold to overthrow the state and continue to impose and grow their power. On top of this, it has created a humanitarian crisis, with more than 4 million refugees fleeing Syria for a safer place. And, as the BBC further notes, "What began as another Arab Spring uprising against an autocratic ruler has mushroomed into a brutal proxy war that has drawn in regional and world powers." [1]The Syrian Civil War was caused by the Arab Spring, and stands as an example of how much of a failure the Arab Spring has been.2. Yemen:Arab Spring demonstrations in Yemen began in January of 2011, with 1000's rising in opposition to the government of President Ali Abdullah Saleh. The people eventually forced him out of power, which has led to an insurgency of Al Qaeda and large scale violence. As the BBC notes, "Since taking power, President Hadi has struggled to tackle widespread poverty and malnutrition, an Islamist insurgency led by al-Qaeda, a secessionist movement in the south, and Zaidi Shia rebels in the north." [2]. Another example of the failure of the Arab Spring. 3. Libya:Libya, since ousting Gadiffi in the height of the Arab Spring, has been plagued by, "...instability, with some 300 revolutionary militias clashing repeatedly, defying requests to disarm and besieging government buildings. Many Libyans also complain of uneven regional development, unemployment and a lack of government transparency" [3].The Arab Spring hasn't succeeded here either with any of it's goals. Let's turn to the last country in question. 4. Egypt:While many would defend this as an example of success, I would not, as Egypt is still an unstable state with polarized sects. The country has seen the over throw of two presidents since the beginning of the Arab Spring, and still remains an unstable state. In fact, Islamic State affiliated groups have began an insurgency in the Egyptian province, which, as the BBC notes, "[left at] least 600 Egyptian security personnel have been killed in militant attacks since 2013" [4]Conclusion:I have upheld my BOP in showing how, on balance, the Arab Spring has been a failure. Anywhere else protests occurred, the results were either largely ineffectual or disastrous. The resolution is negated. Vote Con. __________________________________________________________________Sources:1. http://www.bbc.com...2. http://www.bbc.com... 3. http://www.bbc.com...4. http://www.bbc.com...