After over 2 weeks of protests, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak finally decided to resign from his post. Even though Mubarak's downfall came at the hands of one of the biggest popular uprising in modern history, I admit; I did not think they could do it.
There were several reasons for my thinking. Mubarak has been in power for 30 years, he was entrenched as almost all of the elite in Egypt depends on him, the military and the police was with him, and he was supported by the United States, the West, even Israel!
Against that was a motley crew of protesters that don’t even have a leader. That was organized via the internet and Facebook. That didn’t have anything going for them except numbers. No guns, no bullets, no army, nothing but anger at the way their country was being run.
And the protesters won! Amazing, history-making, and incredible! I was wrong, I guess you can never discount the strength of feelings!
18 comments:
With the US wanting someone more pro-US than Mubarak, the Latter's ouster is almost fate sealed.
Suleiman and Al Baradei are all US Stooges.
Having said that, it is good that the people is Middle East are fighting for their Rights.
patriot
Likes to add that All Baradei had his post in the UN replaced by a Japanese. As such he has little political clout to suck up to the US as he had done while at the UN. With the uprising, he reconnects with the US again.
patriot
Sorry but you got it wrong. It took them over a week before they start to openly support the protestors, and only after Mubarak's downfall looked possible. I mean Mubarak has been their ally for 30 years, and even Israel supported him! If the Americans has their way, Mubarak would still be in his post.
"and even Israel supported him! If the Americans has their way, Mubarak would still be in his post". Unquote.
Mubarak had been accepted by all the other Arab Nation for thirty years as well, though most of the Arab Countries are against Israel.
Anyway, my above posts are personal readings which me deems to have high probability, it's not facts yet and it may not be.
patriot
I'm sorry, perhaps it's jsut me being an American, but I figure the US has paid handsomely for military positioning and information via Egypt, and will continue to do so regardless of who is in power. I refuse to believe that the US would ever have stood in the way of a country's nearly unified citizens asking for freedom, regardless of "whose side" the current leadership was on. Either way, Mubarak's reign may well be rememered as an opportunity to do a massive amount of good wasted. In the meantime, we should all be marvelling at the amazing thing that has happened in Egypt. World leaders certainly are.
Sorry Natalie but my comment was meant in a good way. Obama played it down in the middle till the very end. No matter who came out on top, US interest would be protected in Egypt. That's the way it should be. In my mind, Obama did a great job in Egypt.
Natalie;
me just like to say money does not buy everyone, otherwise Iran, Iraq Yemen and Afganistan etc; Arab Nations that are unfriendly with the US, would have US Bases.
Or
may not need any more bases in Middle East since every country would be ally or friendly to the US.
Btw, my assumption above does not stand so long as Israel and the Arab Countries are not able to co-exist peacefully and there is no sign that they will.
Me sees one motive for the US to foray into anywhere. And that is to convert everyone else culturally and politically with cultural conversion carrying more weight as it is going to make political conversions a lot easier. Again a personal opinion.
patriot
US convert everyone else culturally and politically? Ha! That's crazy. Most Americans I know don't even care about the rest of the world. They are more worried about how the USA is doing than anyone else. Which is right because as a Singaporean, what do I care about the Middle East if the actions there doesn't affect Singapore?
Sadly, I have to agree that many Americans are rather unaware of world issues. A lot of that is simple geography---the US has been able to do their own thing for a long time. It is a very large country and Canada and Mexico are quiet neighbors for the most part. Perhaps some of it is laziness as well, who knows?
Ghost I am relieved you didn't think that that the US would support a foreign leader the people obviously didn't want to protect US interests.
I do NOT think that the US is out as some sort of Westernization missionary. Yes, there are things that Americans feel strongly about that cause cultural clashes between our thinking and that of other countries, but I hope and believe our current administration is interested in respecting differences and fostering further diplomatic relationships with all countries. This is a HUGE undertaking.
I'm not saying I agree with all the things people think or do. Far from it. But that doesn't mean I automatically think my way is best, or right, or anything else.
I also think don't think money can buy everything, but the sad fact is, it can buy plenty, and the reason I brought it up was only to say that the US' motives were not as ugly as I believe Patriot implied.
Patriot, it is awful how SOME Americans think and act towards Middle Easterners and the people of Islam, but we are not all that way and some of us are working to try and help displace those reactionary, racist feelings among our fellow Americans, people who I am embarrassed by them and I apologize for them.
Please also remember that the men and women of our military, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, are giving their lives to try and help the people of the countries you mentioned. I have never, face-to-face, met anyne from any of the "unfriendly" countries who did not go out of their way to tell me that they appreciate America and Americans, and not to buy into the hatred that sometimes makes it's way onto the news. We are all brothers and sisters, and would it be nice if someday we will all treat each other as family? Anger is a useful tool, but calm reflection is what is needed for lasting change.
Israel in not in the picture for the many protests and uprisings(those that want their incumbent regimes to go). Whether or not Israel has a hand in them is also up to anyone to decipher. However, so long as Israel and the Arab Nations are at each other, the US will never play a neutral role between Israel and the Arab Nations. History has amply shown the US to side with Israel and the Arabs are diplomatically at peace with the US only because of oil, money and power play. But are the average Arabs at peace with Israel and hence its' perpetual ally the US? Far from it.
Natalie;
true, we are the Human Race, the ONLY RACE, some idealists claimed. But tell that to the Koreans(North and South), the Protestants and the Catholics and the Different Sects in other faiths and one will understand the beings better.
Let's go back to historical records again, the Roman Empire, the Genghis Empire, the Majapahit and Sri-Vijaya Empire, the British Empire, the Japanese Imperial Conquest and the EXISTING AMERICAN INVOLVEMENTS everywhere. Tell me, how to prove that all humans are like You and me, longing for brotherhood and sisterly existences.
It is clear to the World that the US has long for hegemony of the World and even outer space. Personally, that is also what I have been seeing, the consolation that me has is; me probably stands a chance to witness the Americans having to protest and even remove their own regime.
patriot
Patriot, I'm afraid you read too much into the soft power of the US. The US has no interest for hegemony of the world, hell sometimes they don't even care for hegemony in the US. Generally, I find that they are a people proud of their differences even to other Americans.
At this point in time, me must says that the Americans don't care if their country is UNITED or not, the rich and powerful are into their own enclaves. The poverty line is getting longer, bigger, up and rising.
Okay, Americans care not for themselves, very very agreeable. They are interested in selling their war wares, owning others resources and lands. They want the World to see them as the most powerful and richest nation in the World.
Me am in awe of the US for much of my life, because my own leaders kowtow to them too. However, those were the days while me was naive, now too matured to be naive anymore.
patriot
Ghost, thank you for your thoughts on hegemony in the USA. Perfectly put.
Patriot, I hope someday you'll get to come to the US, (as I'd like to come visit your country -where are you, in the Middle East somewhere, yes?) the US is an amazing and incredibly varied place. The only place I have ever seen more cultural diversity is Dubai.
Also because our country is so big the average US citizen has very little to do with foreign relations and politics -in fact, only something like 21% of Americans even HAVE passports. We vote the best we can, read the papers, just like you.
Oh, and as an aside, many, many Americans have just abut HAD it with Israel! We are asking why it is that Israel gets such preferential treatment and why the "rules" don't seem to apply to them? This is a total mystery. Things will change there...they have to.
Natalie:
me resides in South East ASIA, Singapore to be precise.
"many Americans have just abut HAD it with Israel! We are asking why it is that Israel gets such preferential treatment and why the "rules" don't seem to apply to them? This is a total mystery", unquote. Mystery? The Only and Staunchest Ally of Israel all these years is the US and Americans mystified? Me am so lost here!
To conclude, me am sure You and other Americans will welcome me. And me will love to be here if and when I can afford, hope to see You America!
Two Singaporians! Well, great, then! I can actually say we loved Singapore, and I know Ghost has some laughs at me for thinking Sentosa Island was some kind of nature reserve, among other things.
As for Israel...we just don't get it. The thought is that perhaps people are afraid to say anything "against" Israel for being labelled anti-Semitic, but I am sorry, I cannot turn my back to the Palistinian people.
I also have a hard time believing that the people of Israel truly wish their Palestinian neighbors and brothers to continue to be treated as they are. It's a messy, messy situation and the healing can only begin once the Israelis play fair. Hopefully SOMEBODY in power will get a chance to finally put them back on a level playing field.
The Palestinian situation is one without end. Israel holds such an overwhemling advantage in the Middle East that they don't even think they have to pretend to be fair. Just look at how they stop Iranian ships from passing the Suez Canel when the Suez Canel don't even belong to them!
The Iranian ships have gone through the canal, the first time this has happened since 1979. Israel is protesting, but hasn't the clout to actually stop the ships. An interesting situation to watch.
Yes, it seem Israel managed to delay but can’t stop the Iranian warships. Let see if Israel can adapt to the new environment in the Middle East.
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