Fantastic! I know it might go wrong as many revolutions have but my guess is that it won’t. I think we are seeing a real ray of hope in the Middle East. I have nothing but admiration for the perseverance, courage and skill of the demonstrators who have achieved so much.
I wish I was there!
If all had been completely peaceful I may well agree. 300 odd dead, nobody knows how many injured, supposed secret police driven off by gangs of protesters and vice versa.
And at present Egypt is still in a state of emergency with military control as it has been for years.
I hope you remember the skill and perseverance of protesters next time you cannot enter Parliament. I hope David remembers his admiration in March/April when strikes and protests will take place in this Country.
I only wish for a Swift and peaceful end. Revolutions often, in fact usually, end badly. We romantisise them as it fits out story of a cruel and oppressive Government overturned by the People, who clamour to be Free, a Narrative we apply in America often, and see in the retelligs of French Revolutionary History as well, but in France we also had the Reign of Terror, and even the American Revolution is known to have had adverse effects, though it is arguably the only Revolution that did not result in a totally oppressive regime.
I do not Trust Revolutions. They may excite mens passions, but passion is like fire, and often difficult to control, and we should b careful to tend it, lest it burn down our own House.
Is the ray of hope accounted for by the tedium of having such a long serving executive President?
What possible difference can it make to Israel except Getsmuchworse?
Let the man retire in style, a good demo or two; civil unrest, and then a Presidential election!
It’s more than the Middle East, it’s a movement of universal psyche.
It’s what I call, an event socialogique. (made up word) And how fitting it would begin in Egypt! The people must be very proud of their achievement, such focus and such patience.
Just wait till it happens here.
Notice the parallels.
Corrupt elite – tick
Elite enriching themselves – tick
Electorate powerless – tick
…
This sense of having had enough of being robbed by the State. in all its forms, will indeed spread throughout society. World wide.
If more Arabic countries are prepared to toe the Hr (Human rights)convention article of pluralist democracy, then it can only please the UN (United Nations).
It would be interesting to see how many AL (Arab League) countries have had such pluralist democratic elections over the last 40 years and how many.
An AL League table of democracy, including of course women’s suffrage. Tunisia has always been particularly good with women’s rights from what Tunisian women have told me; but then Egyptian professional women have the same story of equality.
In seven of the Arab world’s twenty states — from Yemen on the Indian Ocean to Morocco on the Atlantic — a process of guarded democratization has been taking place. Ordinary citizens are receiving more opportunities to participate freely in politics,
The implication of democratization/pluralism is that these countries are
a) more literate and
b)have a higher standard of living
than they did a few years ago.
The implication that their politics is not good because they are not pro-Israel or are anti-American, is quite false.
What a great deal mankind owes to the internet explorers who gave us the ability to communicate in an instant.
Dateline with Essler this week was revealing in pointing to a wind of change in the Arab world,
caused in most likelihood by the far larger professional classes of today demanding different rights of representation, freedom, democracy and so on.
Al Fkhari, the Egyptian correspondent points out how all these things were good under King Faroukh and look what happened to him, and what has happened since!
My own comment stands with regards to the wider world of Islam, that Turkey is a key player in any future Internationalisation of political endeavour, whether to the West or to the East; they are involved and always will be.