What historical factors explain the current popular revolutionary movements and do you think they will succeed?

Popular protests have shaken Iraq and Lebanon in the past month. Given that both states grew out of the mandate period, and have very diverse populations, sectarian violence in both countries has often been attributed to the interference of outside powers (most notably Iran, the U.S. and the Gulf states) and many historians have relied on this pattern to explain the failure in the rise of popular revolutionary movements. Yet, recent protests in Iraq and Lebanon seem to reflect an opposite phenomenon because they are inter-ethnic, inter-religious, and transcend the politics of sectarian divisions, and reflect a popular rejection against wide-spread corruption and sectarianism. What historical factors explain the current popular revolutionary movements and do you think they will succeed? Explain why or why not by relying on at least two primary and/or secondary sources.