I have been spending a lot of time thinking about what has been happening in the middle east with the revolution. I was amazed how quickly everything unfolded, and the brutality that has been shown by the government forces. The world is changing so quickly because of the internet, and it is such a volatile change to deal with for these oppresive regimes. The internet brings news and facts that people were never allowed to know about. The way dictatorships stay stable is by keeping the majority of the people poor and clueless. As soon as people find out the truth about their leaders and see how much better other people have it, they will eventually rise up. This is what's been unfolding all over the middle east, and it doesn't seem like there's any way to stop it. People are fed up with the lies, with the torture, with the ridiculous rules, and the theaft of their resources. The majority of people that live in these regions survive on a few dollars per day, while their leaders are making billions of dollars every year. How long can you stand by and watch that happening, after a while you have no choice but to rebel.
In my opinion I think the seed for this revolution was planted in people's heads with the speech that President Obama made in Cairo where he was addressing the muslim world. This was the first time I believe an American president has addressed muslims, and I think it was an amazing speech that everyone should see. Here is a section of it I thought was a direct jab at the government leaders in the middle east:
"I do have an unyielding belief that all people yearn for certain things: the ability to speak your mind and have a say in how you are governed; confidence in the rule of law and the equal administration of justice; government that is transparent and doesn't steal from the people; the freedom to live as you choose. Those are not just American ideas, they are human rights, and that is why we will support them everywhere."
I think people there have never heard a leader honestly address their grievances, and to hear it from the leader of America I think made people start to question their beliefs and what they have been taught. In most Muslim countries America is portrayed as an enemy by their media and leadership. And because America supports Israel we are classified as a Zionist regime by Iran. Ironically this was the first country to rise up. I don't know if it was timed, or just a coincidence that Obama was giving his speech one week before people in Iran went to vote for their president amid speculation that it would be rigged. After the election, violence erupted and the government of Iran suppressed it by shooting and arresting people.
Now we've seen a wave of revolution sweep through the middle east. And hundreds of people have been killed by their governments. The people revolting want freedom, they want rights, and they want dignity. So far the changes have not been as good as people had hoped for. In Egypt there has been secterian violence that the army and police can't handle. In Lybia there is a stalemate and it seems like Nato is trying to assasinate Gaddafi. In Yemen, Syria, and Bahrain the bloodshed has continued. Will change really spread through the region or will people eventually give up and go on with their lives? Change will definately spread, the more important question is what the change will be like. In Egypt the Muslim Brotherhood is expected to be the biggest political party at first. While they are mostly moderate Muslims, in Gaza Hamas is part of the Muslim Brotherhood. They also have a past of being associated with Nazi Germany and spreading their ideology.
To be continued...