They rioted in Tunisia and now they’re rioting Egypt. They’re burning buildings, taking to the streets and calling for a new regime. It’s the match being held to the fuse. The violence could escalate (they’re already calling it a war zone) and lives could certainly be lost, but it’s time to let Egypt burn.
My colleague, Clement Daly, argues these uprisings in Egypt, Tunisia, and elsewhere in the Middle East are the product of an unhappy working class ready to ditch capitalism in favor of socialism.
An element of that exists in these protests, but isn’t the story being written. These uprisings started because of poor economic conditions, rising food prices and high unemployment, which is why Daly’s assessment holds some water, but it isn’t how they’re going to end.
Call it naïve or idealist, or even downright impossible, but this really looks like the liberalization of the Middle East.
This isn’t a critique of capitalism; it’s a critique of oppressive rulers. The people are rising against administrations, some of which the United States supported. But as anyone could tell you, we haven’t always backed the right horse.
Let’s not make the same mistake this time. Let them rise up; let them upset the balance of power and the Middle Eastern status quo. This is going to end as a political revolution, not an economic one. We shouldn’t be on the wrong side of this.
We need to let Egypt burn. Flames engulfed the ruling party headquarters that was reduced to ruins, a site many experts couldn’t believe. The power is slipping away from the regime in a pretty amazing way.
This might be it. Again, it sounds crazy just to say that, but we don’t always hear the bullet coming. This feels like democracy.
By the time you read this, Egypt might have repressed the demonstrators. Or the demonstrators might have taken the upper hand. It wouldn’t surprise anyone if the Egyptian leaders quelled the rebellion; certainly it’s happened in the Middle East.
But what if they can’t? What if this uprising is the turning point? What if we finally see a political revolution in the Middle East ending in a western-style democracy?
It’s idealistic, but it’s possible. Maybe even likely. We should stand with them and let this unfold.
Even if the Egyptian leaders put down this rebellion, their days are numbered. You can’t keep a people down forever, they will rise up. They will eventually cry out for political freedoms and rights. The world is getting smaller, you can’t keep a people from wanting to be free for very long.
The ideas spread too quickly for that. Egypt had to shut down Internet access just to maintain its grip. In a world of social networking, smart phones and the democratization of communication, dictators won’t be able to hold on as long as before.
Examples of freedom are too abundant. Too readily available. The oppressed people of the world cannot be kept in the dark forever. They will see the light of day; it’s only a matter of time.
Iraq isn’t a perfect democracy, but it’s freer than was 10 years ago. Imagine what Egypt or Tunisia could be like if the governments were overthrown completely from within.
Again, it might seem farfetched. It might seem ridiculous to think the Middle East is on the verge of a democratic revolution. But the world is getting smaller, and the ideas are getting bigger.
Let’s believe this is the moment of change. The uprisings in Egypt are the match being held to the fuse, and it’s time to let Egypt burn.
