If Arab public opinion were to influence policy...

If [Arab] public opinion were to influence policy, the U.S. not only would not control the region, but would be expelled from it, along with its allies, undermining fundamental principles of global dominance. The U.S. and its Western allies are sure to do whatever they can to prevent authentic democracy in the Arab world.

So says Noam Chomsky in a piece I just discovered and recommend as useful food for thought: Is the World Too Big to Fail? - The Contours of Global Order

and here is another worthwhile quote to stimulate you to read the same piece:

As long as the general population is passive, apathetic, diverted to consumerism or hatred of the vulnerable, then the powerful can do as they please, and those who survive will be left to contemplate the outcome.