Wikileaks, internet news, and social networks are now much more than just a PR problem for politicians, corporatocracies, and tyrants. They have now become the truth that inspires revolutions.
We saw this happen in Tunisia.
Wikileaks documents showed examples of the vast corruption at the top in Tunisia. This was just too much for the people of Tunisia to take. They stood up and overthrew the tyrant who had oppressed them for years.
And when Egyptians saw this happen, they too stood up against tyranny. We could call this the domino theory of democracy. But you won't hear that from Vice President Joe Biden. Instead we hear Biden say (about Hosni Mubarak); “I would not refer to him as a dictator.” …And why not?
Wikileaks has published U.S. documents that point out that Hosni Mubarak definitely fits the description. Our government knows this. They're just lying to us – and worse. “Our” U.S. Government gives $1.3 billion to Egypt every year in “aid.” (That's Orwellian speak for military support to a totalitarian government.) And our tax dollars have been going towards this for over 30 years now!
Why? Supposedly so that Egypt won't go to war with Israel again. But, the money we've sent to Egypt has resulted in that nation now having the 11th largest military on the planet. So, if we cut off their aid, they now have the military buildup to go to war with Israel. WTF? We've been played... We've been hosed by Hosni. But not just Egypt is behind draining our National treasure. You can bet that much of that (military) aid money got spent on U.S. made weaponry (enriching the usual military/industrial complex suspects).
And what do we hear about this from the mass media? Not much. But we do hear about the Muslim Brotherhood. We hear about terrorism. We hear about rioting, looting, and anarchy... all of which are minor issues so far. However, we also hear about the stock market dropping. U.S. “interests” are at risk.
Most people don't really think about what the term “U.S. interests” really means. Personally, I (and most Americans) don't have any “interests” in Egypt – other than my concern for the welfare of the Egyptian people. However; U.S. (and international) corporations do. (Once again, capitalists are favoring a totalitarian government over a democracy.) And just why should international corporations care who runs the Egyptian government? Of course, the answer is obvious. The present Egyptian government gives"favors" to these corporations – at the expense of the Egyptian people. The only logical conclusion is that the corporate economic cycle of oppression is at risk if the Egyptian people take over.
And we're supposed to be concerned about that.
... I guess I am.
I want Egypt to be free.
But maybe I'm asking too much. Maybe the radicals are on their way to power.
Is this another Iran? Maybe. But it doesn't look like it. Iran had the Ayatollah Khomeini. Egypt doesn't seem to have an equivalent. One thing for sure however; if we continue to support a tyrant in Egypt, and he continues to suppress his people, when they finally do overthrow him, we will have another Iran – with a military infrastructure we paid for.
One more thing. It's obvious that the events in Tunisia aren't the only reason Egyptians are out in the streets demanding democracy. The crippled Egyptian economy has played a major role in the peoples' unrest. Yes, the 2008 banking crisis hurt Egypt's economy too. Which means U.S. and international banks played a significant role in this political turmoil. In other words, we helped bring all this on.
That's right; we.
The American people have allowed our politicians to gut responsible laws that regulated the banks. We too, have to deal with rampant corruption. The banking meltdown may not have been our fault, but the dysfunctional government we have allowed to exist is.
We know the problem here. Campaign contributions are essentially required bribes. If a candidate refuses to take these “contributions,” they won't win any elections. And if business owners don't give out these “contributions,” their markets will eventually be legislated away. This is how a democracy slowly becomes a corporatocracy, and then eventually a fascist state. So far, we've just let it happen. And things just continue to get worse.
We've seen that when the free market dominates democracy, our government is for sale. And when our laws are for sale, we no longer have effective laws. And when our laws are for sale to the highest bidder, those with the gold make the rules with no regard for right and wrong. When established industries dominate a market, innovation gets stifled. When a monopoly dominates a market, eventually quality goes down and price goes up. When international corporations control our government, domestic issues get ignored.
Eventually, the consequences of systematic corruption will inevitably lead to our downfall. The consequences of doing things callously wrong result in poverty, sweatshops, resource depletion, pollution, and Climate Change. Even in America, we can only ignore this for so long...
Maybe someday things will get so bad here that Americans will take to the streets too.
Which is likely why we see “our” U.S. Government taking preemptive steps to stop democracy on the streets here.
“Our” government is trying to legislate an Internet “kill switch” which could shut down the U.S. Internet during those times revolutionaries might need it to communicate (during any uprising against the powers that be). Also, the Internet is being privatized right before our eyes, against our will. Freedom of speech is gradually being usurped on the Internet by an undeserving system of greed - controlled by monopolistic corporations intent on charging you for what we built for free!
Like Egypt; the U.S. has been in a state of emergency for years (almost a decade now).
Moreover, it has been exposed that rampant civil liberties violations (approximately 40,000) have occurred in the U.S. since 9/11.
Of course, there's much more. Just check out Project Censored.
And what are we doing about all this? Not much.
At least the Tunisians and the Egyptians love freedom enough to do something about it.
...Freedom is more than just the freedom to pay taxes.
We know that, but we aren't hungry enough yet to assert ourselves.
Apparently, that time is coming.
Robert F. Kennedy (in a speech to the US Senate):
“A revolution is coming – a revolution which will be peaceful if we are wise enough, compassionate if we care enough, successful if we are fortunate enough – But a revolution which is coming, whether we will it or not. We can effect its character. We cannot alter its inevitability.”
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