The scent of revolution...
You may not want to treat the turmoil in Egypt too lightly; it means a lot more to you that you think.
More often than not, Americans remain immensely disassociated from the rest of the world. We watch the news and see death, destruction and failed political regimes in other countries while falsely believing that the problems of others have no affect on our daily lives. Unfortunately, this disassociation leaves us a bit unprepared, uninformed, and unaware of what is brewing right in our own country.
The current turmoil in Egypt is everything but isolated. What is occurring in Egypt is something that could happen right here in America. While the perceived stability of our political system would most likely prevent us from reacting as the Egyptians have, we still have a wide variety of unresolved issues in this country that could result in rebellion.
Members of the American Tea Party, one of our most radical groups in recent history, have given us an idea of just how uncomfortable Americans are with the U.S. government. Isolated incidents of Tea Party members’ attempts at taking control of their country have been met with side eye glares from most Americans. Generally speaking, a large majority of Americans are not Tea Party ‘members’. As a result, many of us watch news stories about the Tea Party and react as if they are some foreign entity. What we fail to realize is that, despite what we want to believe, the degrees of separation between “them” and “us” is very slim.
Do you believe that Egypt is different than America? Aside from political structural differences, Americans and Egyptians are quite similar. When you think in terms of the Tea Party, our similarities with the Egyptians are quite apparent. Consider this—
Egyptians want President Hosni Mubarak out of office. The Tea Party would prefer President Barack Obama be out of office. The Egyptians want the freedoms that they have been otherwise denied while under the control of President Mubarak. The Tea Party is against Obama Administration’s attempt at streamlining social services such as healthcare which they fear is the beginning of unlimited government control. Egyptians want control of their control of their country. Tea Party members don’t want to lose control of their country. Can you see the pattern?
America is considered to be the land of opportunity. The “American Dream” is the pot of gold at the end of the preverbal rainbow which you can obtain if you follow the rules and work hard. It is the ultimate reward of life in America. But what happens when you follow the rules and still lose? What happens when you graduate high school at the top of your class, fall miserably into debt while attending undergraduate and graduate school, and realize at age 28 that you are making minimum wage with little to no chance of moving at out of your parents’ basement? What happens then?
High unemployment rates, uncertain financial futures and failed attempts at success are taking a toll on American citizens. Despite all of our hard work, times are extremely hard in this country. People are beginning to realize that the “American Dream” they worked so hard to attain, the gold at the end of the rainbow, is merely a false reward for work well done. How long do YOU think Americans will allow this disappointment to continue without rebellion? Things have come to a head for Egypt and only time will tell when the same happens in America. As we watch the Egyptians protest and fight for their political freedom, we are learning a little something about revolt. Egyptians are giving us (and others around the world) ammunition for weapons that we’ve held dormant for years.
There’s a new scent in the air, do you smell it? That’s the scent of revolution.
--Mz.Jonezy
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