I’ve discovered, having done a number of these roundups for The Rumpus now, that The Guardian is one of the best anywhere at covering a story like this.
Nick Baumann at Mother Jones also has good explanations of what’s going on.
Choire Sicha at The Awl is also doing good coverage.
Egypt has attempted to control the protests by cutting off internet access (with marginal success). Economic experts are saying the net has to come back on by Monday or it may face economic disaster.
What the hell is this supposed to mean: “I’m not sure the time is right for the Arab region to go through the democratic process.”
One response
The Egyptian People and the Tunisian people have cried out for democracy and a voice in running their own lives for decades. Our government claims to support democracy, but the people in the streets don’t seem to like us much. Why?
Watch the protest news footage. Wait…what’s that he’s holding up to the video camera? Why, it’s a tear gas canister. What does it say? It says Made in USA. American tear gas, American bullets, American fighter jets, American helicopters, all made right here. When a protester in the emergent Middle East thinks of America, chances are he’s going to think of these products, supporting the dictatorship duJour, before he thinks about the sound-bytes about democracy our State Department is always spouting.
America may be the Land of Opportunity, but if you really would prefer to live in your own country, often America is the brand-name of the iron fist that keeps you in virtual slavery to a dictator. It’s a scenario our government has repeated over and over again for the past 100 years. USA supports dictatorships that plunder nations and keep the vast majority driven to their knees.
But why? Don’t we support Democracy? Well, no, actually. Democracy gives people the ability to run their lives and nations in ways that may not be predictable. Worse, it may not set them up as customers of the hardware that makes our corporate overlords’ profits soar. While the State Department spouts and endless stream of sound bytes including, regional stability, America’s friends, Democracy and other catch phrases meant to lull us into believing that “they hate us for our freedom”, the real business of the government continues, unabated.
The next time you see an angry protester shouting to the camera, remember. He’s trying to teach you something important. Made in USA is the slogan that his daily pain is meted out with. They would love our freedom, but they want to do it themselves. Why is this such a hard lesson for us to accept? Follow the money.
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