The tens of thousands who rallied over the past two weeks have shown great discipline and fortitude. They came from all over the country, rich and poor, young and old, urban and rural, students and workers, men and women, religious and secular, Muslims and Christians, united for change. They have withstood attacks from the paid goons of the Regime and while bloodied, they remained strong, unbent and determined, singing, dancing, praying, even bringing their little children to witness the history being made.
However, now that the wily Suleiman, (a friend and ally of the West and Israel in his capacity head of security under Mubarak), has held talks with various groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood and representatives of the other "parties", it is clear that he is playing for time and hoping that the West (USA and Europe), will pull back from their demands that Mubarak must go now. He is also gambling on the population becoming tired of the continued protests and the need to get on with their lives, miserable as it may be.
This is an important turning point, and if Suleiman is allowed to grab the initiative in the name of "stability', then the past two weeks have been nothing but a blip in the long history of Egypt and the other autocratic/repressive regimes, and a great opportunity for change would have been wasted. Already the media coverage has been curtailed,( Anchors for ABC, CBS etc. have left (not enough burning buildings and bloodied bodies to fill their screens)...this lifeblood is a necessity, for if the world is not looking , then the repression will begin. Many in Tahrir Square are aware of this and have made it clear that their original demands still stand....Mubarak must go and must go now. Sadly it may take some violence to get back the attention and refocus the objective.
Nothing has changed, more than 40% of the people still live on less than $2 a day, Mubarak and cronies still control the wealth( billions siphoned to their private coffers) and power (time allows them to consolidate both), repression will be even worse and revenge will be widespread. The Mubarak loyalists, will sacrifice a few of their cronies, as a sop to the West, and they will raise the spectre of chaos, and instability, and the threat of Islamic radicalism, "Iran-style"......Will this work? Stay tuned.
I believe that the people will persevere. They are on the side of history and Obama and the Europeans should get onside or the winds of change will flatten them. There is no going back.
However, now that the wily Suleiman, (a friend and ally of the West and Israel in his capacity head of security under Mubarak), has held talks with various groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood and representatives of the other "parties", it is clear that he is playing for time and hoping that the West (USA and Europe), will pull back from their demands that Mubarak must go now. He is also gambling on the population becoming tired of the continued protests and the need to get on with their lives, miserable as it may be.
This is an important turning point, and if Suleiman is allowed to grab the initiative in the name of "stability', then the past two weeks have been nothing but a blip in the long history of Egypt and the other autocratic/repressive regimes, and a great opportunity for change would have been wasted. Already the media coverage has been curtailed,( Anchors for ABC, CBS etc. have left (not enough burning buildings and bloodied bodies to fill their screens)...this lifeblood is a necessity, for if the world is not looking , then the repression will begin. Many in Tahrir Square are aware of this and have made it clear that their original demands still stand....Mubarak must go and must go now. Sadly it may take some violence to get back the attention and refocus the objective.
Nothing has changed, more than 40% of the people still live on less than $2 a day, Mubarak and cronies still control the wealth( billions siphoned to their private coffers) and power (time allows them to consolidate both), repression will be even worse and revenge will be widespread. The Mubarak loyalists, will sacrifice a few of their cronies, as a sop to the West, and they will raise the spectre of chaos, and instability, and the threat of Islamic radicalism, "Iran-style"......Will this work? Stay tuned.
I believe that the people will persevere. They are on the side of history and Obama and the Europeans should get onside or the winds of change will flatten them. There is no going back.
