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Bahrain has made previous attempts to enhance its reputation through failed high-profile projects, like being a destination for Concorde jets, and it’s trying again with Formula 1 racing. (Apartheid South Africa used F1 for similar purposes in the '80s.) But now, the violence is getting worse, and the digital tools at the hands of protesters are far more powerful now than during the last uprising in the '90s. Bahrain’s regime must have a lot of chutzpah, or hubris, to think that such transparent “reputation management” would fool anybody who is paying attention. But if they were in touch with the people, they wouldn’t be in this situation in the first place.The ossified autocratic system of government favored by the Gulf monarchs lags far behind the progressive consciousness of the people they rule. Bahrainis have often said to me that they no longer want to be subjects of their state, but equal partners in its government. They will never go back to being ruled without their permission or consent. It is up to their despots to decide how long the violence and unrest must last before they realize their time has passed. Building a fancy racetrack and hiring a few PR firms isn’t going to make a difference in the long run.John Lubbock has been volunteering as a researcher at the Bahrain Center for Human Rights since the start of the Arab Spring. Follow him on Twitter: @jwsal