President Mubarak has announced that he will not seek another term as the President of Egypt. he still is appearing to stay put. Go to Al Jazeera Live for reactions to his speech, which just ended. He sounded just like an American Republican politician, talk a lot but say nothing.
Update: Al Jazeera has just reported that the military is trying to find a way for Mubarak to leave while saving face. He is widely respected by the military as "one of their own" and they do not want him to be seen as being "thrown out".
This is something that I haven’t thought about.
For a week now, I have been puzzling over the various comments, and attempts to gin up hysteria, pervading the media coverage of the popular uprising in Cairo. There was something askew, leaking through in such small doses, that I could not put into words what was bothering me. Then, this morning, Chuck Todd said it, "A peaceful movement without a leader."
Imagine the horror of that!!
It is possible for millions of people to gather and without some jacknape with an AK47 threatening them, they can police themselves.
The BBC and CNN have reported that groups are searching those who want to join the demonstration and, if they find weapons they turn that individual and their guns, over to the military. If they are not armed, they shake their hands and escort them to the center of the square.
People sharing their increasingly limited food stuffs, offering shelter and water, and standing guard over the sleeping protesters. Singing. Yelling. Dancing.
And all without "official" sanction, "crowd control", or authoritarian strutting. A world that doesn't NEED "leaders".
How that must terrify everyone who thinks they are in control of something or other!
After decades of a popular media producing films of crowds gone wild, women who scream, men who can't control their violent impulses, and the need for a "strong" leader to keep civilization on track, what must it do the subtext of every disaster, political, and religious themed attempt to cow the public into accepting an overlord?
We don't need no stinkin' badges!
Posts
