Presuming & ASSuming makes an ASS of you and me

The situation in Tahrir Sq. has been hijacked by people massaging their egos in public and now they are martyred as well!   I have a problem with the media blaming every piece of violence on Mubarak or pro-Mubarak supporters, even the language they use – 75% of the time the pro-Mubarak people are labeled “Thugs”.   

The people in Tahrir have had their requests publicly accepted but now they are like sullen children refusing to go until Mubarak goes.   They are agreeing to talk, refusing to talk, agreeing to talk, refusing to talk.   But no leader has emerged.  Nobody is brave enough to stand up in public and say “I can lead the people” Why?   Because I don’t believe there is one person who can go to Tahrir Sq. get all the people behind him.  That is why they are not doing it. Baradei tried and only a few people took any notice of him.The public are swayed daily by the foreign and domestic media.  I had hopes for President Obama but that has faded in this situation.   America was Egypt’s ally and backed Mubarak until this happened.  If I were a leader in any country now I would be thinking very hard about my loyalty to the US and I wouldn’t be depending on them to keep my back covered should I need it!

When the Egyptian government agreed to the protesters demands for political and economic reform in front of the international media and international community the EU and USA should then have been big enough and brave enough to say to the protesters PUBLICLY – “OK, enough is enough, you have gotten what you want, we have heard the promise, we will see that the promises are delivered on.   If you are afraid for your personal safety, send us your names and details.   We will, through our embassies keep an eye on you.

If you disappear let your friends contact us.  We guarantee your personal safety.  Form parties and now come to the table and start on the positive, concrete work needed to have these problems resolved.   The government has agreed to do their part, but you are Egypt and it is now up to each and every Egyptian to get up, start businesses, educate yourselves and get the Egyptian ecomomy back on it’s feet.  It is up to you – without your co-operation nothing can happen, you must have the ideas but you must also be willing to work to implement these ideas.  You have succeeded here, now GO HOME and come to the table tomorrow and re-build Egypt!”

But the international community with Obama at the front didn’t do this.   They tried to hedge their bets, they wiffled and waffled and allowed their words to be misquoted and taken out of context by the international media.  Now today the media have started with statements that the army generals should be taken out.   What are they all up to?  Is Obama just weak or does America actually have another agenda?   Could it involve the Suez canal?   How far is this going to go?

At the end of all this Obama and the international community appear to have bowed to what is now essentially a mob.   They are the western poltical leaders and they cannot take a stand!   I guess that is the difference between being a Politician and a Statesman.  A politician cuts his losses and runs for cover when the going gets tough.   A statesman makes a meaningful and firm statement, takes a stand and bets his life and career on what he knows in his heart. It is called having the courage of your convictions.

Western leaders would not stand for this in their own countries. They would not have to deal with this in their own countries, because there the protesters would know when they had got concessions and won and would go home.   Egyptian – middle eastern mindset is not the same as western!   Go to a mosque on Friday and even if you don’t understand the words you will recognise the emotion being experessed……they are emotion driven.

Oh……on the democracy thing……who says that western democracy is right for this region?  Obama keeps saying Egyptians will decide what is best for Egypt, but the Egyptians are not deciding, the international community and the international media is deciding that democracy is best for Egypt.  Egypt is not just the protesters in Cairo.   Egypt is also those who recognise what Mubarak has achieved, looks at the situation in full and the history in full, but these people are labeled “thugs”

I am so ashamed of humanity at the moment – I thought we were more advanced in our thoughts and attitudes.  I am ashamed of our European and American leaders and their lack of appreciation, insight and courage.   They are supposed to be capable of leading the world, making decisions on our behalf.  They are supposed to be capable of higher thought.  To see them held in check now and ruled by what amounts to children throwing a tantrum is shameful.

I am not negating what has happened in Tahrir.  I agree that the protesters in Tahrir Sq. have legitimate issues, I agree that they have been exceedingly brave in what they have doneI look forward to a better Egypt because of what they have done.   But there is a time to stop, accept the spoils of battle and graciously let your opponent surrender.    In any battle we decry when the victorious slaughter the defeated.   That is what is happening here and they are being supported and goaded to it by the media.