- Despite months of heroic Middle East/North African uprisings
in over a dozen countries from Morocco to Syria to Oman, none so far achieved
changed, suggesting months, perhaps years, of sustained struggles lie ahead.
-
- Media commentators first used term Arab Spring in March
2005 to suggest a beneficial Iraq war spinoff, what, of course, never happened
nor could it, given Washington's intent to prevent any emerging democracies.
-
- However, it partly succeeded in Lebanon after Prime Minister
Rafiq Hariri's February 14, 2005 assassination. Afterwards, "Cedar
Revolution" anger erupted, ending Syria's occupation, reducing, but
not eliminating the Bashar al-Assad regime's influence in the country.
-
- In late 2010, the term resurfaced to reflect regional
uprisings still ongoing, on and off, across the Middle East/North Africa.
In recent days, notably they've occurred in Yemen, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan,
Saudi Arabia, Syria and Egypt.
-
- Libya is noticeably different - a Western influenced
insurrection now war to replace one despot with another, discussed in numerous
previous articles
-
- Throughout most of the region, people want jobs, decent
pay, better services, ending corruption and repression, as well as liberating
democratic change in a part of the world where poverty, unemployment and
despotism reflect daily life for tens of millions.
-
- A previous article headlined, "Hold the Celebration:
Egypt's Struggle Just Began," saying everything changed but stayed
the same, a common bait and switch scheme, notably because a military junta
replaced Mubarak, assuring no possibility of democracy and social justice
without sustained heroic pressure forcing it, though never easily against
powerful pro-Western rulers.
-
- As a result, after initial jubilation, Egyptians know
their struggle just began against adversarial military leaders, continuing
the same Mubarak era policies.
-
- On April 8, New York Times writers Mona El-Naggar and
Michael Slackman headlined, "Hero of Egypt's Revolution, Military
Now Faces Critics," saying:
-
- "A blogger was jailed recently for 'insulting the
military.' Human rights advocates say that thousands of people have been
arrested and tried before military courts in the last two months."
Political activists were detained for spreading "false information"
about military leaders. Others were intimidated, tortured and abused.
-
- Jailed blogger Michael Nabil was secretly tried in a
military tribunal and sentenced to three years imprisonment for saying:
-
- "The revolution has so far managed to get rid of
the dictator, but the dictatorship still exists."
-
- One protester called the junta part of the old regime,
so they're "defending it every way they can."
-
- American University in Cairo Professor Mustapha Kamel
el-Sayyid believes they're "incapable of understanding the extent
to which the revolution wants to change things in the country. To them,
removing the president was enough."
-
- In fact, Washington and Egypt's military ousted him,
not public anger wanting democratic change. Egyptians, however, demand
it, as well as vital social issues addressed, a common unfulfilled theme
throughout the region.
-
- As a result, after weeks of relative calm, public anger
again confronts the junta, one protester saying:
-
- Mubarak was ousted but nothing changed. "Strikes
and protests are banned by law. The new government is just as subservient
to the United States and Israel as the old one. The military is trying
to kill the revolution, but (it) will go on," despite violent crackdowns
to suppress it.
-
- On April 8, military forces attacked peaceful Tahrir
Square protesters, defying curfew orders and demonstration bans. They were
brutally assaulted with batons, tasers, rubber bullets, tear gas, and live
fire, causing deaths and injuries.
-
- A New York Times report called it "the most brutal
(crackdown) since the overthrow of Mubarak." One protester said "it
was raining bullets. There was an enormous amount of shooting." People
were killed and dozens injured. Others were chased as they fled.
-
- Whole families stayed overnight in Tahrir Square, sleeping
in tents. At dawn, parents searched for children, disappeared in the violence.
Many were arrested, detained, and face trial in military courts.
-
- On April 9, London Guardian writer Peter Beaumont headlined,
"Egyptian soldiers attack Tahrir Square protesters," saying:
-
- Soldiers overnight attacked protesters with clubs, rifles,
and rubber bullets. Egyptian filmmaker Tamer el-Said described what happened,
saying:
-
- "There was a huge demonstration that started at
about 11 o'clock" Friday night. Some military officers joined it at
great personal risk. "At about 11 o'clock, (security forces) surrounded
the square, tried to enter it to try and catch these soldiers but the protesters
would not let them come in. They were army, police and special forces.
At 3 o'clock, they attacked the square. They were firing in the air: at
first rubber bullets and then live rounds."
-
- "They pushed all the demonstrators out of the square.
They then started to chase (them) into the surrounding streets and the
downtown area using tear gas and bullets. (There was) continuous shooting."
-
- Protesters were arrested, thrown in trucks, and dragged
away, women treated violently like men. A military statement blamed "outlaws,"
saying, "The armed forces stress that will not tolerate any acts of
rioting or any act that harms the interest of the country and the people."
-
- In fact, soldiers violently attacked peaceful protesters
like Mubarak thugs did months earlier. Since his ouster, strikes were banned,
but they continue nonetheless. New ones, in fact, broke out, including
Suez canal workers, Shibin el Kom textile ones, others in El Mahalla Kubra,
a Nile Delta industrial area, more in Menoufiya province, Cairo Tax Authority
employees, Alexandria temporary teachers demanding permanent jobs, and
dozens demanding enforcement of court ordered appointments to the Justice
Ministry.
-
- Other strikes involve Gharbiya Financial and Industrial
Company workers, Monufiya Chipsy Company ones, more at 14 power stations,
Beheira Nursing Institute students unable to find jobs, and various others
across the country.
-
- Besides corruption, mismanagement, mistreatment, longer
term contracts for temporary workers, and other job related issues, workers
demand implementation of a court ordered monthly minimum wage increase
from 35 Egyptian pounds (about $6.50) to 1,200 (around $208), for public
and private sector workers. Some industrial ones earn about half this amount,
far below what a family of four needs for food, rent, transport, electricity,
fuel, and other essentials.
-
- Egypt's wages are among the lowest in the MENA region
(Middle East/North Africa). Private sector workers earn about $40 a week
on average - health, social services, and other low-end ones about $15.
Moreover, Egyptian textile employees earn less than half Tunisia's poverty
wages, 36% of Morocco's, and 32% of their Turkish counterparts.
-
- In addition, unemployment is a major issue, a February
2, 2011 International Labor Organization (ILO) statement saying:
-
- "For many years, the ILO has been pointing to the
gravity of the decent work deficit in Egypt and a number of other countries
in the region, where unemployment, underemployment and informal work have
remained among the highest in the world. The failure to address this situation
effectively, with all of its consequences for poverty and unbalanced development,
together with limitations on basic freedoms, has triggered" recent
popular uprisings for change.
-
- ILO added that Egypt's "restrictive legislation"
permits only the state-controlled Trade Union Federation (TUC), subordinating
worker issues to demands of government and private sector enterprises,
including their right to bargain collectively in independent unions for
better pay, benefits, and working conditions. Establishment of the Egyptian
Independent Trade Union Federation (ITUC), in fact, was a Western-backed
subterfuge, promising but not improving worker rights. As a result, strikes
and street protests continue.
-
- Military forces confronted them, threatening to open
fire if protests didn't disburse. Others came to Tahrir Square, defying
orders to leave. Among thousands, they chanted:
-
- "The people want the overthrow of the field marshall
(and) regime."
-
- Anger over recent Israeli Gaza attacks also was voiced,
demonstrators marching to Israel's Giza embassy, demanding an immediate
end to all economic and political ties between both countries. Participating
soldiers were threatened with arrests and military tribunal trials. Reports
said three were killed by live fire and many dozens wounded.
-
- People are angry because ousting Mubarak achieved nothing.
Severe repression continues. Unemployment is high. Those with jobs get
poverty wages, and promises of democratic change were lies, Egypt's junta
enforcing police state brutality to keep power, profit handsomely, and
serve Western interests.
-
- On April 12, another confrontation occurred when soldiers
violently dispersed Tahrir Square protesters, arresting dozens. Moreover,
Egypt's counterterrorism Unit 777 raided homes, cafes, and other establishments,
hunting down activists and human rights supporters.
-
- On state television, the junta maliciously called protesters
hired thugs, trying to denigrate public confidence in military rule, claiming
it supports effective change when, in fact, it won't tolerate it.
-
- Expect little from an April 14 New York Times report,
writer Liam Stack headlining, "Egyptian Military to Review Cases of
Jailed Protesters," saying:
-
- On April 14, Egypt's junta said "it would review
court verdicts handed down to hundreds of civilians detained" since
Mubarak's February ouster. The move came to quell public anger over continued
human rights abuses and failure to address popular demands.
-
- A short junta statement said:
-
- "(I)t will review the cases of all young people
who have been persecuted," and order a retrial of one youth after
his mother appealed in the Wafd Party newspaper.
-
- "Democracy advocates offered cautious praise,"
saying the decision's meaning was "far from clear," nor does
it specify whether military or civilian courts will be in charge.
-
- The Front for the Defense of Egyptian Protesters estimates
at least 5,000 individual or group military trials have occurred since
Mubarak's ouster on various charges, including politically related activities.
-
- As long as junta leadership continues, or controls Egypt
indirectly after later in the year elections, popular demands for economic,
social, and democratic change will go unaddressed without sustained public
pressure to force them. Liberating struggles throughout the region just
began. Expect no resolution easily or quickly.
-
- Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at
lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com
and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the
Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays
at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs
are archived for easy listening.
-
- http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour/
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