African Revolution

I found this great article on Al Jazeera. It's well worth your time, and covers topics that are very important to me and that I don't think are discussed enough.

http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/features/2011/02/201122164254698620.html

Normal post will continue soon.

When One Should Leave

The United States Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, has joined President Obama in stating that change must occur immediately in the Arab Republic of Egypt. For nine days now, revolution has swept Egypt. No longer will the image of an apathetic, downtrodden man or woman represent the people of Egypt. Their nation-wide revolt against the Mubarak regime has proven that they are no longer content to live their lives without justice or accountability from those in power.

Hosni Mubarak, president of Egypt for the past thirty years, has finally announced that he will ste down at the end of his curent term. This would mean the status quo until September. But, of course, there is no guarantee that he will in fact follow his word. The people on the streets have refused to budge, however, until he leave the presidential palace and Egyptian soil. They have complete support of not only the world, but the Egyptian army as well. For an authoritarian regime, this should spell the end of the road. Mubarak, however, doesn't seem to be rattled by this at all.

When a government no longer has the support of the military, they must come to the realization that they have no legitimacy left under which they can rule the populace. It is time that the Egyptian political establishment accept defeat and bow out with as much dignity as one can in such a situation. Let's hope that in a year, Tahrir can come to mean the final liberation of the Egyptian people.

Solidarity With Egypt

The Palestine Papers

Something ain't clean in the water. Al Jazeera today released over 1,500 classifeed documents covering both sides of the Israel-Palestine conflict. The papers are full of revelations on closed door meetings and demonstrate the many deals that have been brought to the drawing board by both the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority.

I'm wary about something. I can't really put my finger on it. Something in the way Al Jazeera refers to them and continuously releases new information by the hour seems bizarre. I can't explain it. It's more than them simply tooting their own horn.

One thing is for certain, however. My support of opposition leader Tzipi Livni has taken a hit. I'll let all of you look over the papers yourselves. Share your thoughts in the comments.

Something Worth Reading from Al Jazeera

This excellent report on Israel's rising xenophobia is very interesting and informative. Please take a look. Despite being a supporter of the Israeli state, I think it's time the US government actually took into account what everyday life is like for non-Ashkenazi Israelis, and realize that unconditional support is no longer viable.

Tunisian Democracy

Earlier today it was revealed that a popular uprising in the North African nation of Tunisia had led to the ousting of a despotic President that had been serving his fifth term before fleeing the country. With high unemployment rates not being addressed and food prices rising, the citizens of Tunisia did the only thing they could in such closed society: take their message to the streets. Morocco and Algeria are now experiencing similar movement that could potentially change the region as a whole.

The people of Tunisia have risen to the occasion as a united, organized people and have created real and hopefully lasting change for their country. They did so without the intervention of a foreign power, without civil war, and without years of attrition. Let their struggle be an example of how real change can only come from within. Intervention only creates divides.

I hope that the rulers of the other nations in North Africa take heed, because the people living their are finally not going to take everything sitting down. Especially let this be a wake up call for Egypt, which has been under "emergency rule" for over two decades. Reforms will need to be made to keep the governments from falling like dominoes.