The Egyptian Revolution

[poliphilo]

Mubarak did everything he could to stay in power. He played nasty, he played nice, he sent in the heavies, he made concessions, he negotiated. The people in Tahrir Square took it all, never changed their demands and everything he threw at them broke on their resolve.  Last night he appeared in the character of father of his country, waxed sentimental over himself and said he was staying. Today he went.

Governments everywhere- of every stripe- have been reminded they exist only by permission of the people.

Comments

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

Amen.

[ron-broxted.livejournal.com]

Spookily last night I said to my family that Mubarak had made Obama look an idiot. Lo, and behold by tea time he was packing his bags. Will my other prediction come to fruition? Egypt fever is exported to England.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I think a lot of countries are going to feel the fever.

[brttvns.livejournal.com]

Well said. My sentiments exactly. I hope us here in Britain take note of that.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I notice "people power" is already beginning to force the Coalition to rethink some of its policies- selling off the forests for starters.

[brttvns.livejournal.com]

I certainly hope so. Selling off the forests is one of the most vulgar ideas I've heard.

[veronica-milvus.livejournal.com]

Well should a government controlled monopoly (the forestry comission) with no accountability to anyone, be in charge of our natural resources?

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Better that, I think, than a rabble of equally unaccountable private owners. I get the impression the Forestry Commission does quite a good job of enabling access and so on.

[veronica-milvus.livejournal.com]

I really don't think we have anything to complain about or worth having a revolution for; we at least have a vote. Our problem is not having anyone decent to vote for.

To equate us with Egypt is to totally misunderstand what it is like to live under a totalitarian dictatorship.

[wolfshift.livejournal.com]

Agreed. I think the issues in Egypt are of a different order altogether from those in Britain or North America. poliphilo's original point stands (that governments exist by permission of the people), but I don't think the ferocity of the Egyptian protests translates to our situations.

[brttvns.livejournal.com]

But what has happened in Egypt does remind us that we are capable of ousting a government if that government continues to break its promises. I never mentioned reveloution or totalitarian dictatorship, but the comparisons are only a question of scale.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I don't predict a full scale revolution for any of the western democracies, but I believe we've just had an object lesson in what can be achieved when protesters stick to their guns.

[jenny_evergreen]

*emphatic nod*

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

Governments everywhere- of every stripe- have been reminded they exist only by permission of the people.

I wish. But while that's partly true, there's also the question of what the army will do...

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

The Egyptian army seems to be a popular institution- not only in the sense of being well-liked, but also in the sense of being of the people. Most national armies have this character I think. If Britain had a revolution (which is most unlikely)I doubt whether the politicians could trust the soldiers to fire on the people.