They say they want a revolution

Wappingers Falls, NY — You may have been hearing about protests in Egypt in the news for the last few days. It’s hard to keep track of what’s going on with scenes of chaos on the screen but one thing’s for sure: it’s a critical turning point in modern Egypt’s history.

Ignoring curfews, police, and the army, thousands of people of all faiths and ages have been calling for a regime change in Egypt. Egypt is a republic yet its current president, Hosni Mubarak, has been in office for 30 years. This length of reign is pretty typical of Middle Eastern and North African countries like Tunisia, whose people recently overthrew their ruler of 23 years. Egypt’s president, however, is refusing to let go. This weekend he announced that he has dissolved the government, and would personally appoint all new members, without stepping down himself. He has just named his first vice president ever but something tells me this is not the change people are looking for.

I don’t think anyone can really pinpoint where or who the revolution started with, but it’s easy to tell that the Egyptian government is scared. The government not only shut down Twitter, but also internet, certain TV stations, and phone service in an attempt to prevent people from gathering. Some people are calling the blackout the worst in internet history. That said, it is inaccurate to regard Egypt as some highly-connected, globalized economy. If you Google ‘Egypt poverty,’ it’s not hard to see why there is so much anger against Mubarak.

The US gives Egypt billions of dollars in foreign aid, as it does to many countries. Most Egyptians, however, haven’t felt the impact of that aid. Food prices, unemployment, human rights crackdowns, religious intolerance and poverty have all risen under Mubarak. Yet this aid includes things like tear-gas canisters used to disperse the crowds. Sadly, these canisters bear the word ‘Made in USA.’ In addition, the US is widely perceived in Egypt as a strong supporter of the Mubarak regime, putting our country at odds with our love and hopes for democracy in the Middle East (see Obama in Cairo 2009). Just a few days ago, Vice President Joe Biden declared that Mubarak was not a dictator. The only friends this kind of statement earns us are more dictators.

Media freedom and communication are, however, rights that the US has emphasized in response to Egypt’s crackdown. I think this would hold more weight if the United States allowed the Qatar-based news channel Al Jazeera to broadcast here. Al Jazeera has been one of the sole sources of information throughout the protests but for Americans to watch the channel (in English), we have to go through the channel’s websites’ live stream or obscure satellite providers. The channel has been deemed anti-American after broadcasting graphic and on-site reports of the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. More tellingly, it has also been ordered to shut down in Egypt.

I have easy access to BBC, EuroNews, South Asian news channels, and more, but in today’s world where we are more financially and physically involved in the Middle East than ever, doesn’t it make sense to easily be able to see what goes on in the other side of the world? It might also lend credibility to the idea that you don’t need to invade a country to bring democracy.

I’m thinking Mubarak can’t hold on much longer (he’s 82 years old after all), so the inevitable question is who will take his place?Mohamed ElBaradei, a Nobel Prize winner and the guy who officially declared there were no WMDs in Iraq, seems to be a media darling.   However, he could also be someone who’s looking to take advantage of the power vacuum. Here’s to hoping Egypt’s revolution will continue to be peaceful, and that the vacuum of power is not filled by the corrupt, incompetent or intolerant. I wonder which country will be next, and if both sides can avoid massacre. Until then, peace in the Middle East, and everywhere else!

These articles might be good for people interested in further reading:

• http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-staggers/2011/01/egypt-regime-rights-islamists
• http://money.cnn.com/2011/01/28/news/international/inflation_food_prices_middle_east/
• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/scott-kurashige/egypt-the-epic-fail-of-th_b_815973.html
• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/30/al-jazeera-english-us_n_816030.html
• Photos: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=268523&id=586357675&fbid=493689677675

- chocolateandfruit