The regime of Hosni Mubarak is no more. Three weeks of protests by the people of Egypt have brought down a regime that endured for three decades. This happened just this past Friday. Now on Sunday there was indication that similar protests were taking place in Algeria and Yemen. With this being the reality, it appears that this awakening in this part of the world is far from over. At this point, with things moving so rapidly, there are more questions than answers. With the military in effect taking over the reigns of power in Egypt, is the uprising in danger of being crushed? Will the U.S. be able to maintain its interests in the area with all of the “instability”? What will happen in Yemen?
Should this uprising inspire movements on the continent outside of Northern Africa, how would that be regarded by mainstream media? Or would it be denounced as yet another example of things descending into chaos and “tribal warfare”?
Ultimately, what does this mean for us over here in the United States? I have heard it asked can the same take place here. I would have to say at this point, no. If we cannot even push back against things like pension theft, privatized public education, the all out assault on public workers and deepening budget cuts on the state level, then there is a long way to go in terms of a fight to improve things on a higher level.
I realize that I asked alot of questions in this post, but since this is a bit out of my area of expertise, I figured its the best way to get a discussion going. I await your feedback. Peace!
Marc W. Polite
P.S. Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!