Events in Egypt.

Quite a roller coaster ride going on over there. Everyone make sure your seat bar is fully locked on this ride!

To borrow words from CSM's John Yemma, it's inspiring to believe in the "dignity of ordinary Egyptian people". Aren't those powerful words? I love seeing the words "Ordinary" and "Dignity" together.

And I admire how the 'freedom' these people are looking for is not the self-centered 'rocketing off on solo journeys of self-discovery' sort of freedom that often comes to mind, but a different sort of freedom. To quote Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz, "Freedom from colonization, freedom from the absolute rule of a king, and basic human freedom in the context of society and the family."

Powerful stuff.

Off goes the head of the king, and tyranny gives way to freedom. The change seems abysmal. Then, bit by bit, the face of freedom hardens, and by and by it is the old face of tyranny. Then another cycle, and another. But under the play of all these opposites there is something fundamental and permanent — the basic delusion that men may be governed and yet be free.

--H.L. Mencken

I don't fool myself into thinking this will end up any better, and it could end up a whole lot worse.

all

The will of the people brings all possibilities, the scary, the utterly mundane, and the inspirational. Of the three, I trust the utterly mundane. You do not soar towards freedom, you stumble towards it.

For a people to soar, they must share one vision, and if that happens, freedom will again be lost. For them to seek to improve things, they must explore what seems like a good idea at the time, make bad bargains, regrettable concessions, scandals, and discord; for this is the only path that leads to freedom.

I look at Egypt, the people under a hundred banners but a single flag, and I see the hope for a real change. Let them show us a Muslim model for democracy. Let Egypt again be the light of Islam, the becon of civilization and progress that can lead not by force of arms or economic coerscion, but by example.

If you will not risk failure, you can gain nothing.

Watch closely my friends, history is being made before our eyes! Interesting, exciting, tongue in cheek emotional, news that actually is worth reporting, & viewing from all sides!

Who knows where this will ultimately go. Remember, Iran had a similar change in the 70's and look how they are today. I hope they work towards a freedom that allows for a safer world, particularly in the middle east.

Iran had a fundamentalist backlash against a western backed dictator (the Shah). It was organized and manned more or less fully by radical fundamentalists, oddly especially from the young intellegencia that fared most poorly under the regime they helped put in place.

Egypt right now resembles Moscow at the fall of the Soviet Union more than Tehran at the fall of the US embassy. There is a broad spectrum of people; sure some fundies, but organized labour, democracy advocates, anti-corruption crusaders as well.