"People have been undereducated for a long time. For decades, they have been fed lies by their government. The gap between the rich and poor has grown. They are seeing soaring food prices. People have gotten poorer and poorer. The young people can't find jobs. Even middle-aged people who have jobs are afraid for the futures of their children."
Those are the words spoken by a reporter in Cairo, describing the conditions that have led up to the current protests.
It seems to me that he could have been talking about this country. You say this couldn't ever happen here? That the poor in this country are probably more comfortable here than they are there, by comparison?
Ask a couple of our homeless people if they think they are better off here than the poor people of Cairo.
There are college students in my town living in their cars and desperately hoping that if they can just hang on until they get their degrees, their lives will surely improve. Ask them if they believe they will miraculously find jobs that will give them a living wage.
Seems to me that it is with supreme arrogance that President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton can urge the leaders in Egypt,or any other country,to listen to their people and put some reforms in place quickly.
Maybe they need to make those statements while looking in their mirrors, or speak to the House and Senate members, and urge them to pay close attention to events in Cairo.
Where will the tipping point be in our country? All it takes is a spark.
Stay tuned.
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11 comments:
The rich and powerful don't have a clue how many in our country live.
I have a friend who is in Human Resources and she said the number of applicants for aid in Arkanasa has really jumped up dramatically.
This is exactly why food stamps will never be eliminated no matter how much some may rant about them. Hungry people will revolt much more quickly than fed ones will.
You're so right Betty. We are on the same page. If you want disturbing evidence it's that people like the neo-Nazi's are being emboldened. We've had groups out twice in the last two weeks waving their flags in front of mobile Mexican food stands. Freedom of speech of course. What might follow is anyone's guess.
Now that's a spark. All it needs is to take.
Ah, yes, and such a ray of sunshine to be found here!
Those who feel this could not happen here are mistaken. If things continue, the class warfare that the media seems to want to provoke may actually arrive. Here, however, it will not be the intellectuals and students fighting for democracy, but the tea party types trying to dismantle it. How many guns do you think are out there?
You provide good food for thought, Betty.
It's not hard to relate to your post, Betty.
Your take on the situation in Egypt is so true. We can look in that mirror and see ourselves.
Gas still going up. All the big folks are back making big bucks. We are trudging along in their ruts. I have been teaching 40 years and have to just keep going. If I stop, to purchase my insurance ...$over500 a month and income taxes will also come out of my check. Folks ask me everyday -- why in the world don't you just retire. I just tell them I love working. Got tired of explaining it all to idiots.
Agree with you Betty. Sounds just like our country, sadly. But as others have said, the rich and powerful don't care about the rest of us, just about getting more rich and powerful. I'm more than tired of listening to Republican/Teabagger lies about how it's big government that's to blame. It isn't. Dismantling government regulation over corporations by Republicans has been a driving factor in this mess we are in--allowing the buildup of largley unregulated monopolies, destroying our manufacturing and moving jobs over seas to maximize profits. Contary to the lies of the right-wing, the size of the government matters not; what's imporatant is to have an effective, reliable government that keeps corporate greed in check, takes care of its populace and infrastructure and provides a better standard of living for all its people by moving this country forward, not backwards. It isn't hard to imagine that what's going on in Egypt now could happen here.
I think that yes, it could happen here. Our homeless population is growing and a lot more people would be if they did away with food stamps and subsidized housing (which aren't as easy to get as many people think). We need to throw the bums out of Congress and our legislatures who have been bought and paid for by big business.
We need to get rid if the bigots and crazies in the Tea Party, too, and send their poster girl back to Alaska.
Good Post. I thought you were talking about our country at the beginning. Things are bad here and I see the gap between the poor and rich growing by leaps and bounds.
Just the other day a man was selling firewood on a corner street. A truck full of men pulled up and beat him with his own firewood and then stole the firewood. The world has gone crazy.
Why do I feel like we are living in the 17th century?
take care
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