Three Hundred Gold Coins and a Fistful of Figs

By Diane Wittner

Once upon a time in ancient Egypt, there lived a Pharaoh who had great wealth and power. He had many palaces, and was worshipped as a divinity up and down the Nile River delta. The Pharaoh had thousands upon thousands of slaves. He was known throughout the land to be a cruel and cunning ruler.

To those who somehow escaped enslavement, the Pharaoh offered land along the fertile Nile valley, fine homes, slaves of their own, and beautiful wives. Very quickly the Pharaoh had a loyal - or indifferent and therefore harmless - following of courtiers. After some years, the comfortable and unquestioning children of these courtiers were counted, too, as reliable supporters of the Pharaoh.

From Electric Politics

I worry about the fate of violent insurrections (don't kid yourselves, Egyptian mobs are not non-violent). I worry about young, educated demonstrators with an overwrought passion for U.S. government support (it seems inauthentic). I worry that without an Arab political theorist (alive or dead), it's impossible to ring the changes on democratic institutions. I worry about whether one way or another the Egyptian state apparatus may prevail (we shouldn't inadvertently — or covertly — aid and abet a military coup). To quell my worries I turned to the eminent Middle East scholar Dr. Roger Owen. He likes what he sees and I'm glad that he does. But the situation is so fraught I hesitate to declare victory. All I know is, Egyptians should sort this mess out for themselves. Total runtime thirty three minutes. Look before you leap!

Egyptian Solidarity Rally & March

Organized by Egyptian Organizations in the U.S.

Saturday, February 12th, 2011

1:00 - 4:00 PM

The White House, Lafayette Park, Washington DC

By Stephen Zunes

With the subsidence of dramatic demonstrations on the streets of Cairo and other Egyptian cities a few days ago, as many protesters return to jobs and catch their breath, some analysts were arguing that the pro-democracy struggle had peaked and Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak had won. Tuesday's demonstrations proved otherwise. There is little question that the pro-democracy struggle in Egypt has achieved lasting momentum.

As with other kinds of civil struggles, however, a movement using nonviolent resistance can ebb and flow. There may have to be tactical retreats, times for regrouping or resetting of strategy, or a focus on negotiations with the regime before broader operations that capture the world’s attention resume.

Those who were expecting a quick victory are no doubt disappointed, but successful People Power movements of recent decades have usually been protracted struggles. It took nearly a decade between the first strikes in the Gdansk shipyards and the fall of Communism in Poland; Chile’s democratic struggle against the Pinochet regime took three years between the first major protests and the regime’s acquiescence to holding the referendum which forced the dictator from power.

READ THE REST.

Issued from the discussion forum held on 7/2/2011 around legal and constitutional solutions to meet the needs of the Peoples revolution

On Monday the 7th of February 2011 the professors of the faculty of law at Cairo university met and after many fruitful discussions and thorough analysis of the parameters of constitutional thought and what is best for our country in order for it to correspond with the great leap & the revolution of the Youth of the Nation which has both been welcomed and backed by many communities within the nation , presented to the nation from a pure conscience and in reaction to the new developments that have affected the entire nation's sentiments . Presented here to the great Egyptian nation are the results which the forum has reached in regards to what must be done for the good of the nation at this historical juncture in our beloved country
The forum has reached the following conclusions:

STOP THE WAR COALITION
Newsletter No.1188
08 February 2011
Email office@stopwar.org.uk
Tel: 020 7801 2768
Web: http://stopwar.org.uk
Twitter: http://twitter.com/STWuk
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/stopthewarcoalition

IN THIS NEWSLETTER:
1) GLOBAL DAY FOR EGYPT: SATURDAY 12 FEBRUARY
2) WHY STOP THE WAR SUPPORTS THE EGYPTIAN UPRISING
3) PACKED MEETING TO DEFEND WIKILEAKS
4) AFGHANISTAN: HIDDEN FROM VIEW BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
5) DAVID CAMERON PLAYS THE ISLAMOPHOBIA CARD
6) STOP THE WAR: THE MOVIE AND THE BOOK

*************************************
1) GLOBAL DAY FOR EGYPT: SATURDAY 12 FEBRUARY

Amnesty International and the TUC have called a demonstration
this Saturday 12 February in Trafalgar Square, 12noon to 2pm, as
part of the global day for Egypt.

Stop the War urges all its supporters to join this demonstration
and to do everything possible to publicise it as widely as
possible.

The ColdType
Reader
(Scroll page for issues - latest at top)

Issue 53

80 Pages: NEW DAWN IN EGYPT – The Revolution Is Being Televised, Fazila Farouk & Jess Hurd; It’s Egypt’s Revolution, Not Ours, Chris Hedges; A Lesson In Revolution And Hypocrisy, Andy Worthington; Hurwitt’s Eye, Mark Hurwitt; Walk Like An Egyptian, David Michael Green; Kissinger On Egypt? Give Us A Break!, Barry Lando

PLUS: Criminal Kosovo: America’s Gift To Europe, Diana Johnstone; Darwin Was Right, Fred Reed; Britain’s Real Domestic Terrorists, George Monbiot; The War On Wikileaks, John Pilger; The US Media: Selling Views, Calling It News, John Kozy; The Palestine Papers, Jonathan Cook; Obama’s Plan To Take Over The Internet, John Whitehead; Media As A Branch Of Government, Justin Raimondo; Nothing But Sh*t Strewn Everywhere, Jeff Archer; I’m Okay. You’re Criminally Insane, Michael I. Niman; Bendib’s World, Khalil Bendib; Shot In The Head, Alison Weir; A Cautionary Tale, William Blum; Why Washington Hates Hugo Chavez, Mike Whitney; Future Weapons For Future Wars, Nick Turse; Life At The Top, Sam Pizzigati; The Imperial War Presidency, David Swanson; Bradley Manning’s Torture: What’s New?, Sherwood Ross

Click here or on image above to download The Reader

A PANEL ON SOLIDARITY AND RESISTANCE TO US FOREIGN POLICY

*US Imperialism in the Middle East  *the US Government's Profound Hatred of Democracy and the War on Dissent *Secret War in Pakistan *Israel’s War Plans *the Revolt in the Arab World

Sponsored by the International Socialist Organization

featuring:

*Michael Schwartz on US Imperialism in the Middle East* (Author of “War Without End” and Professor of Sociology at SUNY Stonybrook)

 *Arun Gupta on the US Government's Profound Hatred of Democracy and the War on Dissent*

(founding editor, Indypendent)

 *Adaner Usmani on the Secret War in Pakistan* (Student Activist based in Karachi. Works with the Action for a Progressive Pakistan and Labour Party (LPP))

 *Lamis Deek on Israel’s War Plans* (Activist with Al-Awda NY: The Palestine Right of Return Coalition) 

*Mostafa Omar on the Revolt in the Arab World* (Egyptian-American activist, member of the International Socialist Organization)

By Ali Abunimah, The Electronic Intifada

The greatest danger to the Egyptian revolution and the prospects for a free and independent Egypt emanates not from the "baltagiyya" -- the mercenaries and thugs the regime sent to beat, stone, stab, shoot and kill protestors in Cairo, Alexandria and other cities last week -- but from Washington.

Ever since the Egyptian uprising began on 25 January, the United States government and the Washington establishment that rationalizes its policies have been scared to death of "losing Egypt." What they fear losing is a regime that has consistently ignored the rights and well-being of its people in order to plunder the country and enrich the few who control it, and that has done America's bidding, especially supporting Israel in its oppression and wars against the Palestinians and other Arabs.

The Obama Administration quickly dissociated itself from its envoy to Egypt, Frank Wisner, after the latter candidly told the BBC on 5 February that he thought President Hosni Mubarak "must stay in office in order to steer" any transition to a post-Mubarak order ("US special envoy: 'Mubarak must stay for now'," 5 February 2011).

But one suspects that Wisner was inadvertently speaking in his master's voice. US President Barack Obama and his national security establishment may be willing to give up Mubarak the person, but they are not willing to give up Mubarak's regime. It is notable that the US has never supported the Egyptian protestors' demand that Mubarak must go now. Nor has the United States suspended its $1.5 billion annual aid package to Egypt, much of which goes to the state security forces that are oppressing protestors and beating up and arresting journalists.

As The New York Times -- always a reliable barometer of official thinking -- reported, "The United States and leading European nations on Saturday threw their weight behind Egypt's vice president, Omar Suleiman, backing his attempt to defuse a popular uprising without immediately removing President Hosni Mubarak from power." Obama administration officials, the newspaper added, "said Mr. Suleiman had promised them an 'orderly transition' that would include constitutional reform and outreach to opposition groups" ("West Backs Gradual Egyptian Transition," 5 February 2011).

By Dalia Basiouny

I am very happy this morning. Yesterday was a magnificent peaceful day. There were millions demonstrating against the regime all over Egypt in the “Day of Departure” as it was dubbed. It is very hard to estimate the exact numbers that came to Tahrir Square, but I am sure that the numbers were more than Tuesday’s “Million People March”, which conservative estimates said exceed one million people, and Al Jazeera said two.

CLICK HERE.

By David Swanson

The danger of permitting the Egyptians democracy, rather than replacing a dictator with his (and our) torturer lies, let us be honest, not in the possibility that Egyptian politics will approach the religiosity of our own Republican Party, and not in the possibility that the civil liberties we have helped deny Egyptians for decades won't all be immediately established, and certainly not in the possibility that the Egyptians would commit collective suicide by attempting to attack the United States, but rather in the possibility that other peoples would be inspired to attempt self-rule as well, and -- more directly -- in the probability that Egypt would cease to uphold the collective punishment of the people of Gaza.

From Bloomberg/BusinessWeek
By Julie Hirschfeld Davis

Feb. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Senior members of the U.S. Congress are debating whether to halt foreign aid to Egypt as a way to hasten President Hosni Mubarak’s exit from power amid continuing protests against his three-decade rule.

Senator Patrick Leahy, the chairman of the panel that controls foreign aid, said he’s prepared to stop all U.S. financial assistance to Egypt -- which topped $1.5 billion last year -- unless Mubarak steps aside immediately and allows a transitional government to take over.

“If he doesn’t leave, there will not be foreign aid; I mean, it’s as simple as that,” Leahy, a Vermont Democrat, told Bloomberg Television in an interview yesterday. U.S. money “will not go to the Mubarak administration,” Leahy said, adding, “that’s a pipeline that can easily be turned off.”

2.1.11 Associate Editor of Mother Jones magazine Nick Baumann joins Coy with the latest on the events in Egypt. We have a true revolution on our hands in the North African country, and today’s conversation provides background on where these problems with Hosni Mubarak originated, what kinds of rights and freedoms the people rioting in the streets are demanding, and what we can expect to develop in the coming days. Finally, Baumann gives his thoughts on new legislation that would re-define what classifies rape crimes in America.

 Standard Podcast [19:44m]: Hide Player | Play in Popup | Download (28)

You can say it, Mr. President

By Medea Benjamin

Tonight our CODEPINK delegation in Cairo returned to Tahrir Square after the terrible events of this afternoon, when Mubarak's thugs busted up their peaceful protest with rocks, sticks and molotov cocktails. Hundreds have been wounded--their hands, legs, arms wrapped in bloody bandages. Despite the beatings, thousands of people are still camped out in the square--absolutely determined to stay there until Mubarak goes.

Despite the danger on the streets, we went to the square carrying with two big banners. One said "World Says Time To Go, Mubarak!" and the other said "Solidarity With Egyptian People" in both English and Arabic. When the people in the square saw us and discovered we were Americans, they erupted into cheers. "Thank you, thank you," they cried. "We love you." We were crying as well. It felt so good to help lift their spirits after such a terribly violent day.

• Egyptians Rejecting Religious Leadership, But Not Religion
• Post by H.A. Hellyer

• On Cairo Streets, No Support for Islamist State
• Post by H.A. Hellyer
• Egyptians vs. The Police
• Post by H.A. Hellyer
• Violence Came To Tahrir Square With Pro-Mubarak Protests
• Post by H.A. Hellyer

By Dalia Basiouny

Dear Friends,

I just got internet access today, so I want to write you a quick note before we lose it again.

I am well, but my country is not.

As you must have seen in the media, a beautiful inspiring revolution is taking place in Egypt. More than two million people gathered yesterday in the main square in Cairo to ask the president to leave and let the people govern themselves. It was a beautiful celebration. Egyptians were drunk by the knowledge that as a people they have power to decide. It was amazing, with slogans and very funny chants. A real revolution of LIGHT.

Today was a very different picture. They attacked the revolution, in the worst possible way. The amazing peaceful demonstrations were attacked by organized paid pro-government thugs, thousands of them entered the square around 2 pm, and started attacking the peaceful anti-government demonstrators, with sticks, rocks, fire, metal weapons and more.

Kucinich: The Violence in Egypt must Stop and it Can Only Be Stopped By President Mubarak

Washington D.C. (February 2, 2011) – Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) today released the following statement:

“The developing situation in Cairo is heartbreaking. In eight days of demonstrations, millions of people took to the streets to peacefully express their desire for democratic reform. After a late-night statement from Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, that peace has been broken.

“The violence must stop and it can only be stopped by President Mubarak. Events are still within his control. He must immediately tell his supporters not to engage in violence against peaceful protestors or journalists. He must order plain-clothes police officers not to become involved in fomenting violence. He must order the army to protect the protesters and journalists and to prevent further violence.

Hosni Mubarak will you please go now!
The time has come.
The time has come.
The time is now.
Just go.
Go.
Go!
I don't care how.
You can go by foot.
You can go by cow.
Hosni Mubarak will you please go now!
You can go on skates.
You can go on skis.
You can go in a hat.
But
Please go.
Please!
I don't care.
You can go
By bike.
You can go
On a Zike-Bike
If you like.
If you like
You can go
In an old blue shoe.
Just go, go, GO!
Please do, do, do, DO!
Hosni Mubarak
I don't care how.
Hosni Mubarak
Will you please
GO NOW!
You can go on stilts.
You can go by fish.
You can go in a Crunk-Car
If you wish.
If you wish
You may go
By lion's tale.
Or stamp yourself
And go by mail.
Hosni Mubarak
Don't you know
The time has come
To go, go, GO!
Get on your way!
Please Hosni M.!
You might like going in a Zumble-Zay.
You can go by balloon . . .
Or broomstick.
Or
You can go by camel
In a bureau drawer.
You can go by bumble-boat
. . . or jet.
I don't care how you go.
Just get!
Hosni Mubarak!
I don't care how.
Hosni Mubarak
Will you please
GO NOW!
I said
GO
And
GO
I meant . . .
The time had come
So . . .
Hosni WENT."

##

With thanks to Dr. Seuss, Marvin K. Mooney, Art Buchwald, and Richard M. Nixon.