Revolutions as tool for social improvement

In last few months, i visited Istanbul a few times. Living in Western Europe for few years, my impression of Turkey was based on the Turkish migrants i had seen around me. When i visited the first time, i was pleasantly surprised. Most of people i met were broadly similar in their attitude and approach to most of Europeans i have met. I found them friendly and charming. And every night i stayed out with my friends, we started bar hopping at Taksim Square. That is why the recent images of protests in Turkey are thought provoking for me. Though what i happening there is no way a revolution, it is not great leap of thinking that it can turn out to be one. I hope it does not.

Revolutions are tricky things that rarely improve situation in short or medium term. Revolutions by definition are against something and not for something. What we find after most of revolutions, even successful ones, is that society has to pick up the pieces of all the things that are necessarily broken in the upheaval. If we look at the recent revolutions in middle east, almost none of them have improved the situation of the normal people living in those countries. At the same time, sometimes those who govern are so far out of line that revolution might be only way out, no matter how painful it is. 

I personally am not in favor of revolutions. Too much inconvenience for my liking. 

Also, the long term success of revolutions is dependent on broad participation of society in the improvement of its lot and significant number of people behaving morally. These factors for me are also possible in restrictive conditions and they can help evolve a society into becoming better society. 

A social structure that rewards moral behavior and participation in social activity can achieve progress without the pain of revolution. Results of such action are slow to materialize and those who dedicate to these goals have to be really selfless in their pursuit. For vast majority of people going out to protest is something hard to do. For same people, being moral and participating bit more in social discourse is possible. Now that would be a worthy goal to follow.