As I write from my office in Cairo, hundreds if not thousands of Egyptians are continuing a sit-in that has lasted almost three weeks. They sit and camp under the blazing sun, they march to heavily gaurded military buildings, and risk their lives protecting the hard fought freedom they believe they won in Feburary.
And what are Americans? We are a bunch of wusses. Our Congress and President are about to destroy America. And by destroy I mean, the collapse of Lehman Brothers is going to look like a puppy on Christmas. Our leaders have become so inneffective at leading that they are like a tugboat pushing us out to sea instead of guiding us into a safe harbor.
Americans should be in the streets. Americans should be protesting in front of government buildings. There should be a sit-in of people in front of the White House and Capitol. American citizens should be lining the streets in DC and state capitols across the country. We should be revolting because our leaders have become revolting!
And the Chinese (and any other country built of oppression of the masses) should be partying in the streets - because their greatest economic competitor is about to throw their influence down a refuse encrusted toilet.
WAKE UP AMERICANS!
What I wouldn't give right now to be in America - and all 300 million of you are there and not doing a damn thing.
I'm not advocating a certain "deal" on the debt - to be honest who the hell cares about our national debt when the unemployment remains stubbornly high and our schools are actively failing students instead of students failing school? Here's what needs to happen: all options are on the table with the leaders of our great nation sitting down like adults to find a solution.
But you know what, it's not really just Congress and the President's fault. I mean, why should they care to be careful with our country when Americans have so obviously taken our country for granted? I know all you "patriots" have the bumper stickers saying "Freedom Isn't Free" and play awful patriotic country-western songs while looking at the American flag - but you're all a bunch of whining hypocrites unless you petition the American government to actually govern. Not pander. Not force conservative deals down liberals throughts or liberal deals up conservatives a$$es, but actually do your job.
FYI Congress/President, your job is to actively try NOT to destroy America. In fact, it would be great if you actually tried making America BETTER. Just a thought.
So American citizens, if you are in America and not thousands of miles away, please do something. We elected these idiots so lets at least try to force them to do whatever will keep our nation free and great.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Saturday, July 9, 2011
The Things I See
This video is from the following day of the below events in downtown Cairo in the areas near Tahrir Square. Credit to Ahram Online.
The weirdest thing about being in Egypt since the revolution is seeing the things that I see on international news.
A couple weeks ago, June 28th to be exact, I was driving with a friend and my husband on the way to meet some other friends for dinner after work. Like so many days recently, the protesters in front of the TV and radio building (Maspero) caused the Cornish, the road along the Nile, to be closed. So we had to take an alternate route to the restaurant that involved crossing to the other side of the Nile and driving down that side.
We had just been complaining about the horrific traffic, gossiping about work, getting ready to have a relaxing meal in the middle of the week. As we got off the bridge over the Nile, my husband commented that there must have just been a fight because there was a group of men walking past us looking agitated.
A normal fight in Egypt usually means one guy affronts another guy, affronted guy gets mad, both start yelling, eventually it gets physical while the entire street congregates around to calm them down. They calm down and everything goes back to normal. I was just about to make a sarcastic comment about men not being able to handle their own testosterone, when we turned the corner onto the main road and realized this was not a normal fight.
On one side of the road stood men with long poles looking around angrily. On my side was quite a few men with swords - I'm talking medieval A Knight in King Arthur's Court swords- guns, and sticks. There was, of course, traffic which meant we crept by this scene, all of us holding our breaths. A few guys were still in the middle of a scuffle, but all were in plain clothes.
We passed them, and immediately looked at each other saying - WTF???
Later, numerous accounts of this incident came out. Read a few of them to see the context (CNN, Ahram Online, Guardian, BBC), but the weird part was truly having been in the place in the middle of the action that was being reported about. And I don't care what was reported - the guys we saw were NOT families of the people who died during the revolution they were thugs - guys hired to cause problems and ignite tensions.
The next morning, we waited for news that our office was still open after numerous (and ongoing) clashes in Tahrir had been reported.
I've seen the protesters and their tents in Tahrir, calling for a sit-in until their demands are met. I drive past almost every morning where people live outside the TV and radio building demanding housing from the government. I check Twitter because it is the fastest way to be informed about events around the city and I plan my weekend around protests.
For what? many outside Egypt are asking. They got rid of Mubarak - what more are they asking for?
See, in America we vote someone out of office and think that we've ridded ourself of all the things that person stood for that we don't like. People in Egypt are demanding more. They are demanding the destruction not just of a dictator but of his entire supporting regime - the actors, institutions, and hired guns that allowed the dictator to be.
Mubarak is only a symbol - many have compared him to the top of a pyramid with the entire base beneath.
Not one person has been prosecuted for the deaths of protestors during the revolution. The police are still battling peaceful protesters, and someone is still paying thugs to start fights. Thankfully the Egyptian people have decided they after so much oppression and missed opportunities they deserve more than superficial change.
And until they get it, I hope the things I see still make it on the news.
A couple weeks ago, June 28th to be exact, I was driving with a friend and my husband on the way to meet some other friends for dinner after work. Like so many days recently, the protesters in front of the TV and radio building (Maspero) caused the Cornish, the road along the Nile, to be closed. So we had to take an alternate route to the restaurant that involved crossing to the other side of the Nile and driving down that side.
We had just been complaining about the horrific traffic, gossiping about work, getting ready to have a relaxing meal in the middle of the week. As we got off the bridge over the Nile, my husband commented that there must have just been a fight because there was a group of men walking past us looking agitated.
A normal fight in Egypt usually means one guy affronts another guy, affronted guy gets mad, both start yelling, eventually it gets physical while the entire street congregates around to calm them down. They calm down and everything goes back to normal. I was just about to make a sarcastic comment about men not being able to handle their own testosterone, when we turned the corner onto the main road and realized this was not a normal fight.
On one side of the road stood men with long poles looking around angrily. On my side was quite a few men with swords - I'm talking medieval A Knight in King Arthur's Court swords- guns, and sticks. There was, of course, traffic which meant we crept by this scene, all of us holding our breaths. A few guys were still in the middle of a scuffle, but all were in plain clothes.
We passed them, and immediately looked at each other saying - WTF???
Later, numerous accounts of this incident came out. Read a few of them to see the context (CNN, Ahram Online, Guardian, BBC), but the weird part was truly having been in the place in the middle of the action that was being reported about. And I don't care what was reported - the guys we saw were NOT families of the people who died during the revolution they were thugs - guys hired to cause problems and ignite tensions.
The next morning, we waited for news that our office was still open after numerous (and ongoing) clashes in Tahrir had been reported.
I've seen the protesters and their tents in Tahrir, calling for a sit-in until their demands are met. I drive past almost every morning where people live outside the TV and radio building demanding housing from the government. I check Twitter because it is the fastest way to be informed about events around the city and I plan my weekend around protests.
For what? many outside Egypt are asking. They got rid of Mubarak - what more are they asking for?
See, in America we vote someone out of office and think that we've ridded ourself of all the things that person stood for that we don't like. People in Egypt are demanding more. They are demanding the destruction not just of a dictator but of his entire supporting regime - the actors, institutions, and hired guns that allowed the dictator to be.
Mubarak is only a symbol - many have compared him to the top of a pyramid with the entire base beneath.
Not one person has been prosecuted for the deaths of protestors during the revolution. The police are still battling peaceful protesters, and someone is still paying thugs to start fights. Thankfully the Egyptian people have decided they after so much oppression and missed opportunities they deserve more than superficial change.
And until they get it, I hope the things I see still make it on the news.
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