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Title: Are We Witnessing the Start of a Global Revolution?
Source:
Global Research
URL Source: http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=22963
Published: Jan 27, 2011
Author: by Andrew Gavin Marshall
Post Date: 2011-01-27 13:35:05 by Brian S
Keywords: None
Views: 7658
Comments: 17
North Africa and the Global Political Awakening, Part 1 Global Research, January 27, 2011 For the first time in human history almost all of humanity is politically activated, politically conscious and politically interactive... The resulting global political activism is generating a surge in the quest for personal dignity, cultural respect and economic opportunity in a world painfully scarred by memories of centuries-long alien colonial or imperial domination... The worldwide yearning for human dignity is the central challenge inherent in the phenomenon of global political awakening... That awakening is socially massive and politically radicalizing... The nearly universal access to radio, television and increasingly the Internet is creating a community of shared perceptions and envy that can be galvanized and channeled by demagogic political or religious passions. These energies transcend sovereign borders and pose a challenge both to existing states as well as to the existing global hierarchy, on top of which America still perches... The youth of the Third World are particularly restless and resentful. The demographic revolution they embody is thus a political time-bomb, as well... Their potential revolutionary spearhead is likely to emerge from among the scores of millions of students concentrated in the often intellectually dubious "tertiary level" educational institutions of developing countries. Depending on the definition of the tertiary educational level, there are currently worldwide between 80 and 130 million "college" students. Typically originating from the socially insecure lower middle class and inflamed by a sense of social outrage, these millions of students are revolutionaries-in-waiting, already semi-mobilized in large congregations, connected by the Internet and pre-positioned for a replay on a larger scale of what transpired years earlier in Mexico City or in Tiananmen Square. Their physical energy and emotional frustration is just waiting to be triggered by a cause, or a faith, or a hatred... [The] major world powers, new and old, also face a novel reality: while the lethality of their military might is greater than ever, their capacity to impose control over the politically awakened masses of the world is at a historic low. To put it bluntly: in earlier times, it was easier to control one million people than to physically kill one million people; today, it is infinitely easier to kill one million people than to control one million people.[1] - Zbigniew Brzezinski Former U.S. National Security Advisor Co-Founder of the Trilateral Commission Member, Board of Trustees, Center for Strategic and International Studies An uprising in Tunisia led to the overthrow of the country’s 23-year long dictatorship of President Ben Ali. A new ‘transitional’ government was formed, but the protests continued demanding a totally new government without the relics of the previous tyranny. Protests in Algeria have continued for weeks, as rage mounts against rising food prices, corruption and state oppression. Protests in Jordan forced the King to call on the military to surround cities with tanks and set up checkpoints. Tens of thousands of protesters marched on Cairo demanding an end to the 30-year dictatorship of Hosni Mubarak. Thousands of activists, opposition leaders and students rallied in the capitol of Yemen against the corrupt dictatorship of President Saleh, in power since 1978. Saleh has been, with U.S. military assistance, attempting to crush a rebel movement in the north and a massive secessionist movement growing in the south, called the “Southern Movement.” Protests in Bolivia against rising food prices forced the populist government of Evo Morales to backtrack on plans to cut subsidies. Chile erupted in protests as demonstrators railed against rising fuel prices. Anti-government demonstrations broke out in Albania, resulting in the deaths of several protesters. It seems as if the world is entering the beginnings of a new revolutionary era: the era of the ‘Global Political Awakening.’ While this ‘awakening’ is materializing in different regions, different nations and under different circumstances, it is being largely influenced by global conditions. The global domination by the major Western powers, principally the United States, over the past 65 years, and more broadly, centuries, is reaching a turning point. The people of the world are restless, resentful, and enraged. Change, it seems, is in the air. As the above quotes from Brzezinski indicate, this development on the world scene is the most radical and potentially dangerous threat to global power structures and empire. It is not a threat simply to the nations in which the protests arise or seek change, but perhaps to a greater degree, it is a threat to the imperial Western powers, international institutions, multinational corporations and banks that prop up, arm, support and profit from these oppressive regimes around the world. Thus, America and the West are faced with a monumental strategic challenge: what can be done to stem the Global Political Awakening? Zbigniew Brzezinski is one of the chief architects of American foreign policy, and arguably one of the intellectual pioneers of the system of globalization. Thus, his warnings about the 'Global Political Awakening' are directly in reference to its nature as a threat to the prevailing global hierarchy. As such, we must view the 'Awakening' as the greatest hope for humanity. Certainly, there will be mainy failures, problems, and regressions; but the 'Awakening' has begun, it is underway, and it cannot be so easily co-opted or controlled as many might assume. The Tunisian Spark A July 2009 diplomatic cable from America’s Embassy in Tunisia reported that, “many Tunisians are frustrated by the lack of political freedom and angered by First Family corruption, high unemployment and regional inequities. Extremism poses a continuing threat,” and that, “the risks to the regime’s long-term stability are increasing.”[2] On Friday, 14 January 2011, the U.S.-supported 23-year long dictatorship of Tunisian president Ben Ali ended. For several weeks prior to this, the Tunisian people had risen in protest against rising food prices, stoked on by an immense and growing dissatisfaction with the political repression, and prodded by the WikiLeaks cables confirming the popular Tunisian perception of gross corruption on the part of the ruling family. The spark, it seems, was when a 26-year old unemployed youth set himself on fire in protest on December 17. With the wave of protests sparked by the death of the 26-year old who set himself on fire on December 17, the government of Tunisia responded by cracking down on the protesters. Estimates vary, but roughly 100 people were killed in the clashes. Half of Tunisia’s 10 million people are under the age of 25, meaning that they have never known a life in Tunisia outside of living under this one dictator. Since Independence from the French empire in 1956, Tunisia has had only two leaders: Habib Bourguiba and Ben Ali.[3] The Tunisian people were rising up against a great many things: an oppressive dictatorship which has employed extensive information and internet censorship, rising food prices and inflation, a corrupt ruling family, lack of jobs for the educated youth, and a general sense and experience of exploitation, subjugation and disrespect for human dignity. Following the ouster of Ben Ali, Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi assumed presidential power and declared a “transitional government.” Yet, this just spurred more protests demanding his resignation and the resignation of the entire government. Significantly, the trade union movement had a large mobilizing role in the protests, with a lawyers union being particularly active during the initial protests.[4] Social media and the Internet did play a large part in mobilizing people within Tunisia for the uprising, but it was ultimately the result of direct protests and action which led to the resignation of Ben Ali. Thus, referring to Tunisia as a “Twitter Revolution” is disingenuous. Steven Cook, writing for the elite U.S. think tank, the Council on Foreign Relations, commented on the lack of attention being paid to the Tunisian protests in the early weeks of resistance prior to the resignation of Ben Ali. He explained that while many assume that the Arab “strongmen” regimes will simply maintain power as they always have, this could be mistaken. He stated that, “it may not be the last days of Ben Ali or Mubarak or any other Middle Eastern strongman, but there is clearly something going on in the region.” However, it was the end of Ben Ali, and indeed, “there is clearly something going on in the region.”[7] France’s President Sarkozy has even had to admit that, “he had underestimated the anger of the Tunisian people and the protest movement that ousted President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali.” During the first few weeks of protests in Tunisia, several French government officials were publicly supporting the dictatorship, with the French Foreign Minister saying that France would lend its police “knowhow” to help Ben Ali in maintaining order.[8] Days before the ouster of Ben Ali, Hillary Clinton gave an interview in which she explained how America was worried “about the unrest and the instability,” and that, “we are not taking sides, but we are saying we hope that there can be a peaceful resolution. And I hope that the Tunisian Government can bring that about.” Clinton further lamented, “One of my biggest concerns in this entire region are the many young people without economic opportunities in their home countries.”[9] He concern, of course, does not spur from any humanitarian considerations, but rather from inherent imperial considerations: it is simply harder to control a region of the world erupting in activism, uprisings and revolution. The Spark Lights a Flame Tunisia has raised the bar for the people across the Arab world to demand justice, democracy, accountability, economic stability, and freedom. Just as Tunisia’s protests were in full-swing, Algeria was experiencing mass protests, rising up largely as a result of the increasing international food prices, but also in reaction to many of the concerns of the Tunisian protesters, such as democratic accountability, corruption and freedom. A former Algerian diplomat told Al-Jazeera in early January that, “It is a revolt, and probably a revolution, of an oppressed people who have, for 50 years, been waiting for housing, employment, and a proper and decent life in a very rich country.”[10] In mid-January, similar protests erupted in Jordan, as thousands took to the streets to protest against rising food prices and unemployment, chanting anti-government slogans. Jordan’s King Abdullah II had “set up a special task force in his palace that included military and intelligence officials to try to prevent the unrest from escalating further,” which had tanks surrounding major cities, with barriers and checkpoints established.[11] In Yemen, the poorest nation in the Arab world, engulfed in a U.S. sponsored war against its own people, ruled by a dictator who has been in power since 1978, thousands of people protested against the government, demanding the dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down. In the capitol city of Sanaa, thousands of students, activists and opposition groups chanted slogans such as, “Get out get out, Ali. Join your friend Ben Ali.”[12] Yemen has been experiencing much turmoil in recent years, with a rebel movement in the North fighting against the government, formed in 2004; as well as a massive secessionist movement in the south, called the “Southern Movement,” fighting for liberation since 2007. As the Financial Times explained: Many Yemen observers consider the anger and secessionist sentiment now erupting in the south to be a greater threat to the country’s stability than its better publicised struggle with al-Qaeda, and the deteriorating economy is making the tension worse. Unemployment, particularly among the young, is soaring. Even the government statistics office in Aden puts it at nearly 40 per cent among men aged 20 to 24.[13]
The reflex action of the imperial powers is to further arm and support the oppressive regimes, as well as the potential to organize a destabilization through covert operations or open warfare (as is being done in Yemen). The alterantive is to undertake a strategy of "democratization" in which Western NGOs, aid agencies and civil society organizations establish strong contacts and relationships with the domestic civil society in these regions and nations. The objective of this strategy is to organize, fund and help direct the domestic civil society to produce a democratic system made in the image of the West, and thus maintain continuity in the international hierarchy. Essentially, the project of "democratization" implies creating the outward visible constructs of a democratic state (multi-party elections, active civil society, "independent" media, etc) and yet maintain continuity in subservience to the World Bank, IMF, multinational corporations and Western powers.
It appears that both of these strategies are being simultaneously imposed in the Arab world: enforcing and supporting state oppression and building ties with civil society organizations. The problem for the West, however, is that they have not had the ability to yet establish strong and dependent ties with civil society groups in much of the region, as ironically, the oppressive regimes they propped up were and are unsurprisingly resistant to such measures. In this sense, we must not cast aside these protests and uprisings as being instigated by the West, but rather that they emerged organically, and the West is subsequently attempting to co-opt and control the emerging movements.
Part 1 of this essay focuses on the emergence of these protest movements and uprisings, placing it in the context of the Global Political Awakening. Part 2 will examine the West's strategy of "democratic imperialism" as a method of co-opting the 'Awakening' and installing "friendly" governments.
Twitter, WikiLeaks, Facebook, Youtube, forums and blogs did have a part to play. They reflect the ability “to collectively transform the Arab information environment and shatter the ability of authoritarian regimes to control the flow of information, images, ideas and opinions.”[5] It should be noted in this regard, that the US based foundation Freedom House was involved in promoting and training the Middle East North Africa Facebook and Twitter bloggers (See also Freedom House)
We must also keep in mind that social media has not only become an important source of mobilization of activism and information at the grassroots level, but it has also become an effective means for governments and various power structures to seek to manipulate the flow of information. This was evident in the 2009 protests in Iran, where social media became an important avenue through which the Western nations were able to advance their strategy of supporting the so-called 'Green Revolution' in destabilizing the Iranian government. Thus, social media has presented a new form of power, neither black nor white, in which it can be used to either advance the process of the 'Awakening' or control its direction.
Whereas America was publicly denouncing Iran for blocking (or attempting to block) social media in the summer of 2009, during the first several weeks of Tunisian protests (which were largely being ignored by Western media), America and the West were silent about censorship.[6]
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#1. To: Brian S (#0)
The end of USEmpire.
And none to soon.
Never swear "allegiance" to anything other than the 'right to change your mind'!
And none to soon. "Rome is strangling my people and my country... the whole earth. But not forever! I tell you, the day Rome falls there will be a shout of freedom such as the world has never heard before. " Ben Hur
"Keep Your Goddamn Government Hands Off My Medicare!" - Various Tea Party signs.
Nice quote.
nice quote indeed. ;} "Don't speak too soon, for the wheel's still in spin;/And there's no telling who that it's naming."
And none to soon. Mubarak flies to the Emirates/Saudi Arabia w/in hours or this is about to get bloody. Think Tienanmen Square.
Note not a word about the stock market. The bank. Very little about the airport. This has to end soon.
"This is no longer going to work." Mubarak on his way to plane. Forecast.
BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA US State totally clueless. This only makes sense if a Blood bath is in the works: All Israelis better be out of theairport before this happens: "Obama's statement last night after his conversation with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was pretty good. "They're not as on the fence as people think," Kagan, of the Brookings Institution, said by e-mail Saturday, referring to the U.S. administration. "I think the administration knows there has to be some kind of transition soon." "The only way out for Mubarak is to allow free and fair, competitive elections, including inviting international monitors to come in-- and right away, because they have to monitor months of campaigning leading up to the elections," Kagan continued. It also requires "changes to constitution to allow candidates not currently approved to run ... [a] completely free press, etc." "If Muburak announced this right away, it could prevent him from being toppled. Indeed, it might give him a chance to go down in history as the man who ushered in Egyptian democracy," he said." Clueless.
I just saw this title on another forum, so I can't vouch for its accuracy at this time.
I just saw this title on another forum, so I can't vouch for its accuracy at this time. That won't work. This decision taken at the worst possible time. Now they're behind the curve. Too little. Too late. When society is strengthening- Street doesn't want Mubarak making the choice. Every hour now. This is global and will move rapidly by Cairo.
Angryarab: "Saturday, January 29, 2011 Desperate US The US is now desperate. It wants (for its imperial interests and for Israel) to preserve the dictatorial regime at all costs. I won't be surprised that US forces Mubarak to appoint 30 vice-presidents in the hope that one of them would click. Posted by As'ad at 8:16 AM Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook Share to Google Buzz Panic in DC Comrade Joseph sent me this: "Maybe the Americans and Mubarak in their panic will end up burning every possible American candidate by having him named as a possible successor, and this includes ‘Umar Suleiman." Posted by As'ad at 8:14 AM
AIPAC Israel has completely eviscerated our Foreign Policy and here's the result: "Obama's know-nothings discuss Egypt Posted by Helena Cobban January 28, 2011 1:18 PM EST | Link Filed in Egypt Via TPM's intriguing new "Egypt wire", this: President Obama was reportedly briefed for 40 minutes on the situation in Egypt today. Here, a photo of his meeting with National Security Advisor Tom Donilon; Chief of Staff Bill Daley; Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communication Ben Rhodes; Tony Blinken, National Security Advisor to the Vice President; National Security Council Chief of Staff Denis McDonough; John Brennan, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism; and Robert Cardillo, Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Intelligence Integration. What is notable is the absence of anyone in the group who has any serious knowledge about either Egypt or the broader region. So thorough-going has been the witch-hunt that AIPAC and its attack dogs have conducted over the past 25 years against anyone with real Middle East expertise that the U.S. government now contains no-one at the higher (or even mid-career) levels of policymaking who has any in-depth understanding of the region or of the aspirations of its people.
He's got a heavy spook background. I doubt the people will accept him since he's our front man.
a truly monumental worldwide rallying cry for freedom that threatens to immeasurably damage the agenda for one world government, but only if the successful revolutionaries can prevent themselves from being co-opted by a paranoid and desperate global elite. Probably get co-opted by the NWO, like the Tea Party is being by the GOP. The TP started out as a grass roots movement, and is getting covered with asto-turf.
He was in DC. Had to be flown into Cairo. Here's a cool little phone app called Sukey to help people navigate during a protest/riot. Very useful in avoiding kettling (a slang term for police crowd containment). Check out the tutorial. Sukey (click to enlarge) Elements: * Mashup (Google map mode) and SMS mode. * Identification of dangerzones. Voting on colors (danger level). * Directional danger indications (compass rose). * News ticker - combo of standard news and SMS/Twitter (verified) user generated news NOTE: A slight variant of this could be used to direct open source protests by select routes and targets/takedowns (using a reddit style upvote process for each) Just sayin, ;}
* JPost.com * Diplomacy and Politics Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Binyamin Ben-El Photo by: Eli Neeman Ben-Eliezer: Mubarak regime, peace will endure By GIL HOFFMAN 01/28/2011 01:07 Saturday, January 29, 2011 Tell this Israeli friend of Mubarak that Jamal has fled the country "Gamal continues in his path and he is a brilliant guy. His future depends on how his father prepares the army to support him.”" Posted by As'ad at 9:29 PM Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook Share to Google Buzz Sulayman: the US/Israel choice "When I told the demonstrators on the tank around me the news of Suleiman's appointment, they burst into laughter." Posted by As'ad at 9:24 PM
Are We Witnessing the Start of a Global Revolution?
#2. To: mcgowanjm (#1)
The end of USEmpire.
#3. To: Brian S, mcgowanjm (#2)
(Edited)
The end of USEmpire.
#4. To: Godwinson (#3)
#5. To: Fred Mertz (#4)
#6. To: Brian S (#2)
The end of USEmpire.
#7. To: All (#6)
#8. To: All (#7)
#9. To: All (#8)
#10. To: mcgowanjm (#9)
General Omar Suleiman, sworn in as Egyptian Vice-President, Mubarak to resign
#11. To: Fred Mertz (#10)
General Omar Suleiman, sworn in as Egyptian Vice-President, Mubarak to resign
#12. To: Fred Mertz (#10)
#13. To: All (#12)
#14. To: mcgowanjm (#12)
Omar Suleiman
#15. To: Brian S (#0)
(Edited)
Brzezinski’s Feared “Global Awakening” Has Arrived (Paul Joseph Watson - infowars.com)
#16. To: Fred Mertz (#14)
(Edited)
He's got a heavy spook background. I doubt the people will accept him since he's our front man.
#17. To: Fred Mertz (#10)
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