Can the Egyptian Revolution at all be called a "revolution," or has it been closer to an intense but mere civil disobedience?
In the post-revolution stages, there is plenty of wishful thinking yet the Egyptian people do not have a clue on how to accomplish their numerous goals. Some are supporting secularism, some are showing dreadful signs of being vigorously brainwashed by Western propaganda, none of them are pushed about US interference in Egyptian affairs, and none are able to read the reasons why the US is adamant to control Egypt. As if all of this isn't bad enough, there are also rumors that the military is still protecting Mubarak. What a big bundle of mess!
The Egyptian people are striving for improvement with plenty of sincerity. But they are not savvy which is proving to be catastrophic. They still haven't been able to grasp the difference between a change of regime and a change of face. Amr Moussa's ambitions for running as president puts no questions in their minds despite Moussa's press statement mentioning "the qualities required to be the president of Egypt also apply to Gamal Mubarak." And Amr Moussa made that statement despite the frequent chantings of the Egyptian people at Tahrir Square yelling "Gamal, tell your father that Egyptians hate you."
About 60% of the Egyptian population is 30 or under. They have never known any other "king" in their country except Mubarak. The long standing presence of their despotic ruler has somewhat moulded their ideology likewise. Though the Egyptian people hate Mubarak and his regime, they subconsciously have a dependency problem on many of that regime's rules. Mubarak worked for the White House for over 3 decades. Subsequently, the young Egyptians are unable to envisage the need to fight for an end to US role in Egyptian politics. The US embassy in Cairo was the lifeline for Mubarak's palace and his regime, and will continue to be no matter who replaces Mubarak. It's a horrific obstacle for revolutionists seeking change but that never occured to the Egyptian people.
To make matters worse, the Egyptian military has had a very close relationship with US and its intellegensia for a long, long time. The military supported Mubarak from the day he came to power until the day he left. When Mubarak was certian he couldn't quell the uprising, he felt his best choice was to hand over power to the institution that always supported him. Military, as an institution, has huge striking potentials in any country of the world. If it supports the despotic regime during an uprising, the people can do nothing. Now, the Egyptians are not only without proper leadership but they are also cornered in a very helpless situation against the guns of their own armed forces. Fortunatley for them, most are hardly aware of it. Ignorance is bliss in many situations and this is one of them.
Simply put, this revolution can hardly match the smartness of what happened in Iran 1979. There is a lesson to be learned. It vividly exposes the difference between a revolution with a sound leadership and agenda to free the masses from the fetters of imperialism, and another one, where the people gather on the streets to address their grievances but without any leaders interested in winning back their country's sovereignity.
In the post-revolution stages, there is plenty of wishful thinking yet the Egyptian people do not have a clue on how to accomplish their numerous goals. Some are supporting secularism, some are showing dreadful signs of being vigorously brainwashed by Western propaganda, none of them are pushed about US interference in Egyptian affairs, and none are able to read the reasons why the US is adamant to control Egypt. As if all of this isn't bad enough, there are also rumors that the military is still protecting Mubarak. What a big bundle of mess!
The Egyptian people are striving for improvement with plenty of sincerity. But they are not savvy which is proving to be catastrophic. They still haven't been able to grasp the difference between a change of regime and a change of face. Amr Moussa's ambitions for running as president puts no questions in their minds despite Moussa's press statement mentioning "the qualities required to be the president of Egypt also apply to Gamal Mubarak." And Amr Moussa made that statement despite the frequent chantings of the Egyptian people at Tahrir Square yelling "Gamal, tell your father that Egyptians hate you."
About 60% of the Egyptian population is 30 or under. They have never known any other "king" in their country except Mubarak. The long standing presence of their despotic ruler has somewhat moulded their ideology likewise. Though the Egyptian people hate Mubarak and his regime, they subconsciously have a dependency problem on many of that regime's rules. Mubarak worked for the White House for over 3 decades. Subsequently, the young Egyptians are unable to envisage the need to fight for an end to US role in Egyptian politics. The US embassy in Cairo was the lifeline for Mubarak's palace and his regime, and will continue to be no matter who replaces Mubarak. It's a horrific obstacle for revolutionists seeking change but that never occured to the Egyptian people.
To make matters worse, the Egyptian military has had a very close relationship with US and its intellegensia for a long, long time. The military supported Mubarak from the day he came to power until the day he left. When Mubarak was certian he couldn't quell the uprising, he felt his best choice was to hand over power to the institution that always supported him. Military, as an institution, has huge striking potentials in any country of the world. If it supports the despotic regime during an uprising, the people can do nothing. Now, the Egyptians are not only without proper leadership but they are also cornered in a very helpless situation against the guns of their own armed forces. Fortunatley for them, most are hardly aware of it. Ignorance is bliss in many situations and this is one of them.
Simply put, this revolution can hardly match the smartness of what happened in Iran 1979. There is a lesson to be learned. It vividly exposes the difference between a revolution with a sound leadership and agenda to free the masses from the fetters of imperialism, and another one, where the people gather on the streets to address their grievances but without any leaders interested in winning back their country's sovereignity.
Comments