The fall of a longtime dictator or dynasty typically opens a window of joy, hope and the possibility of healing. Boisterous crowds pour into the streets. Statues and symbols of the old regime are destroyed. Jails are emptied of political prisoners. Mass graves are uncovered. The search begins for the millions of dollars missing from the central bank.

All too soon, the jubilation turns to despair. Celebration gives way to retribution. Old regime figures are targeted. A security vacuum enables spiraling violence. A sense of chaos sets in. And before long, people begin to yearn for the good old days of the strongman; yes, he was repressive, but at least the streets were safe!

It’s a pattern I’ve seen over and over during my decades as a correspondent for The Post, starting in 1986 in Haiti, where I cut my teeth as a foreign reporter covering the fall of Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier. The memories returned last month as I watched images of joyous Syrians in the streets of Damascus, Aleppo and other cities, celebrating the fall of dictator Bashar al-Assad.

Thank goodness Assad is gone, I thought. Now will Syrians seize this opportunity to build a new, inclusive politics and society? Or will their country, like Haiti and so many others, descend into violence and chaos until a new strongman takes control?

The scenes in Haiti 39 years ago were remarkably similar to what’s been happening in Damascus. First came the news that, after weeks of unrest, Duvalier had flown to France aboard a U.S. Air Force C-141 under the cover of darkness. His departing entourage included more than........

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