"Mary Aguinda et al" slays the giant

"Before I die they have to pay me for the dead animals, and for what they did to the river, and the water and the earth," Read more about the landmark decision

Here and here

Congratulations!

Lessons from the Egyptian Revolution

Across US campuses in the coming days we will begin to see solidarity gatherings in celebration of the Egyptian people's victory over autocracy. This is commendable. However, any celebrations in the US that take place should include reflection on:

* The role of the U.S. in propping up the dictator

* A comparison of the people's overthrow of Mubarak and the USA's actions in Iraq against Saddam.
- A discussion of the policy of interventionist "regime change" versus allowing
indigenous paths to take place

* A reflection on the role of the media, particularly Al Jazeera, in providing fodder for the revolution
- The fact that the USA attempted to shut down, blow up and oppose Al Jazeera
- The fact that the USA funded its own Middle East propaganda station ( Alhura)
which had no affect in promoting democracy.

The UK Independent writes:

The less muscular form of idealism adopted by Barack Obama (and, although he has yet to be tested, by David Cameron, with the phrase, "We cannot drop democracy from 10,000 feet") has been strengthened by the north African revolutions. Above all, the toppling of his friend Mr Mubarak is a rebuke to Mr Blair. Our former prime minister criticised President Obama for his speech in Cairo in June 2009 as, in effect, the appeasement of Islamism. Yet Mr Obama's judgement has been vindicated. By recanting past American arrogance, Mr Obama transformed popular attitudes towards the US in Egypt and made it easier for the citizens' movement to be a positive expression of national pride rather than a negative anti-westernism.

The big lesson is that the world's democracies can best help the peoples who do not share their freedoms by the "soft" power of example, information and the promise of prosperity, rather than the "hard" power of force. The much-hyped role of Facebook, Twitter and mobile phones in mobilising the revolutions reflects the importance of the ease with which the people in unfree countries can access the news, culture and values of the free world. Read more

Other "lessons" include:

* Non-violent protests actually can topple dictatorships

* Real bottom-up media (in contrast to State propaganda) can be a powerful tool to coordinate and fuel efforts


Learn more about uprisings on Earth - here

Learn more about non-violence on Earth - here

Reconsider conflict on Pandora - here

See also -

Choices Program: The Egyptian Uprising - here

Education Week: "U.S. Teachers find teachable moment in Egyptian Uprising - here

The above article hits on a couple interesting notes: USA education of Egypt is often
simply based on (a) teaching about the ancient mummies, (b) Amerocentric (i.e. Suez Canal), and (c) most educational institutions believe that if they teach a little about Islam than they have unpacked the Middle East.

If anything, the Egyptian Revolution should open educators up to having to move beyond these tired tropes.

A final link: Creative responses to the uprising (great music videos and art) - here

Samuel Huntington and the Egyptian Revolution

BBC carried an interesting article on the unity between the two religions in moving the country to democracy. Read more.

Another interesting op-ed looks at the new emerging pan-Arabism - here.

One can't help but wonder where Huntington's infamous mythic Clash of Civilizations is? Perhaps it's finally time to put the old boy to rest?

Day 14: America and the Egyptian Uprising

USA Foreign Policy ship has run aground. You can hear the bottom scraping against the shore as the large ship continues hurtling forward. Looking at the above pic - gas canisters "Made in America," you can't help but marvel at the "soft power" being thrown around. No - it's not Coca-Cola, and it's certainly not Four Loko. But yes, it is "made in America."

A few interesting articles:

Tear gas used by Egyptian security "Made in America" - here. Sad association for people championing democracy. One can only juxtapose this with Eastern Europeans several decades ago demanding an end to tyranny. Only then it was the USSR that propped up the strong men.

Last week Human Rights Watch released a report on the activities of the gov't that the USA has been propping up - here

Ron Paul has hit the right note on his assessment of the U.S. propping up Strong Men ("he might be a bast*ard, but he's our bast*rd" decade long policies) with his blog "our 30 year mistake". Well - Paul calls for the USA to step aside and let Egyptians take of their internal affairs. This is all well and good, but as Paul admits, USA foreign military aid has been the muscle enhancing drug his weak body as used for decades to compete.

Obama - Demand Mubarak resign now!

On Jan 29 President Obama again disappointed with his failure to call for the resignation of the Egyptian dictator Mubarak - here

Not long ago it was Obama who had delivered a historic speech in Cairo. One of the mistakes the U.S. has consistently made in its foreign policy is to back stability (i.e. the powerful elite) over the will of the people (i.e. democracy). Iran is a case in point where the USA's backing of the Shah alienated it from the people longing for freedom from tyranny.

Mark Levine writes: "Obama doesn't seem to understand that the US doesn't need to "take the fight" to al-Qaeda, or even fire a single shot, to score its greatest victory in the "war on terror". Supporting real democratisation will do more to downgrade al-Qaeda's capabilities than any number of military attacks. He had better gain this understanding quickly because in the next hours or days the Egypt's revolution will likely face its moment of truth. And right behind Egypt are Yemen, Jordan, Algeria, and who knows what other countries, all looking to free themselves of governments that the US and its European allies have uncritically supported for decades." Read more

Juan Cole connects the current crises in Egypt to the neo-liberal policies pursued by Mubarak with USA urging, where the educated and largely unemployed class were sidelined by foreign interests and Egyptian elite (oligarchy). - read more (see post on 1/30/2011)

Learn more about conflict on Earth here

Cyber War Tunisia

The BBC reports: "Unions and traditional political groups have played some role. But it is on the internet that a new generation of activists has been credited with driving the movement forward.

This has happened despite increasingly strict controls by a government that, even before the demonstrations, was regarded as unusually zealous in its online censorship.

A steady flow of protest videos, tweets, and political manifestos has continued to make its way onto the web in a variety of languages: Arabic, the Darija Tunisian dialect, French and English."

Read more

This is another example of the global conflict of the new Fifth Estate (wired citizens) versus the State.

Jaren Loughner is a Muslim - what if?

NEWS BREAK: FBI uncovers proof that Jared Loughner attended a mosque and was a recent convert to Islam?

NEWS BREAK: Public outrage over the Islamic Terrorist Jared Loughner leads to the killing of Sikhs.

NEWS BREAK: FBI questions a number of Muslims who may have been involved in radicalizing Loughner.

NEWS BREAK: Congress to take up the problem of home grown Muslim terrorists.

Well - not quite. But What if he were a Muslim is an interesting question posed by Dean Obeidallah

"Secretary of State Hillary Clinton earlier this week called the suspect Jared Loughner an "extremist" -- but not a terrorist. Would Clinton and others be so hesitant to apply the terrorist label to an American Muslim or Arab-American?"

Read more