Bahrain's slide into uncertainty

Thinking about Bahrain I can’t help but feel disenchanted by the way the political process is unfolding. Shiites, who account for the majority of the population, have been agitating for greater political representation and power that reflects their position for years. In the past year and a half their plight has been broadcast globally as foreign media focused on countries affected by the Arab Spring. In early 2011, the Shiites launched a major campaign in Manama to demand political reforms. The regime acted harshly and called in Saudi military muscle to quash the protest movement. The resultant violence radicalized the Shiite movement considerably and polarized the state even further. The Sunni minority ruling class is still holding on to power but how long can it maintain its hegemony now that more than half of the country support the overthrow of the Sunni monarchy? End games are difficult to predict but in Bahrain’s case one can’t help but feel that without radical political change the monarchy’s days are numbered.