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Egyptian Revolution
B5C
Veteran
What do you think of the revolution? I wanted this revolution to be peaceful, but I am afraid this may become an violent revolution. 
0
Comments
The so-called president of Egypt, Hosni Mubarak, is little more than a tyrant who's been in power for the past 30 years and has given the Egyptian people next to nothing besides political oppression in all that time. The protesters themselves have been relatively peaceful, and it's mainly the pro-Mubarak forces that have instigated the violence when they attacked the protesters in Tahrir Square. My hope is that the army will side with the people and Mubarak gets a clue and steps down.
The Pro-Democracy protesters almost lost the square to pro-Mubarak supporters.
Before that:
Pro-Mubarak forces charged the pro-democracy groups with horses and camels:
Obama has told Mubarak to quit now.
They have spoken.
Will Mubarak listen? :rolleyes:
Will other countries/cities do the same thing?
World War 3?
All good questions to ask...
I've explored Bhuddha's teachings for answers but is there any? Has it all gone too far?
In the UK we are governed by a bunch op people, mainly from quite a monied class, who have gone to fee paying schools, then straight to Uni to do politics, economics and so on....then into political parties. With this limited perspective, they are then constrained further by people like Rupert Murdoch at News International.
Meanwhile, the average JoBlo like myself either becomes disillusioned by politics and doesn't vote....after all my views and Buddha's teachings probably are pretty far removed from mainstream politics or the majority don't really care and are too pre-occupied with money, possessions and deep suffering. The gap between "haves and have nots" becomes greater as does the power of the political classes.
I want to rise up in revolution, just like the Egyptian people.....but alas...this will not happen as the majority are against it...and historically us Brits don't do these things anyway.
I couldn't disagree with you more on a couple of points, although you are right that the current emphasis on possessions and celebrity impede reform.
First of all, when someone refuses to engage with the political process, how can they complain? To quote the motto of the underhand taxation of the poor (the Lotto), you have to be in it to win it. If you really believe that the situation and/or the system is unsatisfactory (and would agree with you), we need to be out there speaking up. It would be easy for me, after some five decades of demonstrating and activism, to despair but I don't because my understanding of the Dharma is that we can and do create the conditions for improvement by skillful action rather than by nihilistic inactivity.
Secondly, we in Britain have given the world examples of social transformation time and again. We were the first to engage in a genuine republican revolution resulting in a constitution that enshrines freedom from monarchical tyranny. We abolished the slave trade and, ultimately, outlawed slavery. We provided the philosophical underpinning of modern politics of liberty. We may not have stopped the unlawful Blair wars but a million of us turned out on the streets and compelled Parliament to remove the 'royal privilege' from the Prime Minister alone.
There is an enormous amount of evidence in our history that, alongside the crimes of empire, we have engaged in progressive policies which move us - slowly I admit - towards a juster and more peaceful society. That from time to time we are subjected to rule by oligarchs as today only serve to remind us that the battle is never finally won - as the Dharma teaches us. It does not, however, teach that we should abandon the struggle.
Excellent points, well made
I'm thinking positive and peaceful thots for the whole country of Egypt.