January 28, 2011 at 10:43:12
The Evolving Populist Political Rebellion in the Arab
World
By Dave
Lefcourt
(about the
author)
What we are witnessing in the Arab world that began with
the self immolation of a fruit seller in Tunisia, the subsequent
rebellion there which saw the departure of the dictator Ben Ali and his
23 year rule has inspired a populist political rebellion well beyond
Tunisia that has connected with and touched a nerve in many (most?)Arab
people.
What started in Tunisia (the demand that Ben Ali step down over
his corruption, oppression, high food prices, widespread unemployment and
poverty and the humiliation by government agents that caused the
desperate act of self immolation) has spread to Egypt with mass
demonstrations that began Tuesday, continuing despite an official
crackdown by the Mubarak regime. Through internet postings (Twitter and
Facebook) larger demonstrations are planned for today in Cairo and other
Egyptian cities. Former Chief U.N. nuclear inspector Mohamed ElBaradei
(and an Egyptian himself) has joined in the call for Mubarak to step
down.
Yesterday saw thousands marching in Sanaa, the capitol of Yemen calling
for President Ali Abdullah Saleh, in power for 32 years to step
down.
All these countries are different unto themselves, but the people in all
of them share similar circumstances of living under dictatorial rule with
repression and oppression that brings personal humiliation, lack of
respect and dignity toward the individual at the hands of their
government, extreme poverty, unemployment, rising prices for necessities
along with widespread official corruption.
In all the Arab countries in rebellion their governments and their
leaders are client states of the U.S. In the name of maintaining
stability and our "war on terrorism" we have supported these
country's autocrats with military hardware and training of their security
forces.
Significantly, none of these indigenous rebellions have anything to do
with fundamentalist, Islamic Jihadist terrorism.
The Egyptian government accuses the "Muslim Brotherhood" of
being behind the people's insurrection, but the "Brotherhood"
is just a convenient scapegoat, an excuse for the government to attempt
to intimidate and crack down on the demonstrator's call for Mubarak to
step down.
The rebellions have all been spontaneous and internet connected, not led
by activist types and their groups who are the "usual"
opponents of the government. They are amorphous swellings of
"ordinary" people inspired to join in and take part in these
movements to overthrow their oppressors.
As to the U.S., our sordid history in conducting coups and assassinations
of legitimately elected governments and leaders (Iran, Chile, South Viet
Nam, Nicaragua et al) and then actively supporting the subsequent
repressive regimes we conspired to bring to power, our one sided support
of the Israelis occupation of the Palestinians and now our endless war on
terror, pre-emptive war and occupation of Muslim countries all under the
guise of bringing freedom and democracy at the point of a gun, puts us on
the wrong side of history particularly in the current turmoil roiling the
Arab world, all in our client states.
Ironically, The U.S. support of these tyrants running these governments
has not been an issue voiced by the Arab people in their indigenous
rebellions.
Hopefully this will give pause to our own governments policy of hegemony
that has (up to now) equated all Arab rebellion as radical, Islamist
Jihadist terrorism inspired by Osama bin laden and those of his
ilk.
Our hubris and exceptionalism assumes we control the world.
The Arab people in rebellion somehow didn't get that memo.
http://www.opednews.com/articles/The-Evolving-Populist-Poli-by-Dave-Lefcourt-110128-221.html
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