If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.

- George Washington

Friday 11 February 2011

Egyptian Oddities



In a country that has been run as a corrupt dictatorship an in a constant state of emergency for 30 years:
  • the army state that their role is to protect the people
  • the people trust the army more than they did the police or the politicians
  • the army protect the people against the secret police
  • the dictator leaves and the army takes charge, and the protesters celebrate.
It doesn't quite fit the script, does it?

As George Alagiah pointed out, this is the first time that the Egyptian people have had charge of their own destiny for 8000 years.

The region is going to be massively unstable for a while yet, but all the signs are good.

10 comments:

  1. Good luck to them. I hope they insist on freedom rather than just accept the next government that comes along bleating "democracy" words.

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  2. Too right. They have a chance for something really special, and I hope they insist on getting the best for themselves - not just something similar that makes different noises. Something we should perhaps have done in 2010.

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  3. Agreed. I'm not about to run to the bookies and put money on it though.
    People are too well conditioned.
    It's good government or bad government. No one thinks of the no government choice. Or at least too few people do.

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  4. The Egyptians certainly get my best wishes for their future - for an oppressed people in a volatile part of the world they managed a radical change in a remarkably civilised way. I wonder about the person in Tunisia who first had the idea: 'we can do this via Twitter'. He or she deserves the Nobel Prize - but perhaps a little smile to themselves thinking 'I started that' just before they go to sleep is enough.

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  5. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  6. The Egyptian Army is most concerned with protecting its own status and privileges. They clearly dcided to go with the flow in not attacking the protesters and their mutual victory was signalled when their troops replaced those of the Presidential Guard (cf Nazi SS) around the television station and Presidential Palace.

    Unenlightened Commentary blog points out that 9 out of 10 recent popular, peacefull uprisings have led to improved regimes for the people, not least in Indonesia, the worlds most populous Moslem nation.

    link fear of something worse

    If the link says "the page does not exist", just click the header because it does.

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  7. Rising food prices and under/unemployment are the big problems now the party's over. How a country that hasn't made anything since the pyramids will pay for the changes is beyond my ken. I wish the Egyptians well and hope we mind our own business.

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  8. Minding our own business is the thing. Maybe the West could try thst strategy with the Middle East. It never has before.

    But what am I saying. They've always had such great successes every time they've interfered or propped up this or that despot, or removed this or that despot. It hasn't failed yet. And the people in each country are always so lastingly grateful to the West for their help in imposing murdering police states on them.

    Good luck Egypt.

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  9. You're right there Jim. Positive non-intervention. MYOB. Breakfast of Champions.

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  10. Yes, such a change from Slaughterhouse 5, 6, 7...

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