While events unfold in Wisconsin, Ohio, Bahrain and Yemen, we continue to monitor the revolutions tumbling like dominoes around the globe, with today’s emphasis on the one in Egypt. We found this diary from Daily Kos, originally published Feb. 13, a thought-provoking piece on the inner workings of a nation’s struggle to change, the individuals involved in making it happen, and the inevitable question faced as a successful revolution ends: What next? —f.b.
by Maxomai
The cameras have, for the most part, turned away from the spectacle in Egypt. Mubarak is, of course, gone. The protests haven’t completely died down but most of them have faded away (and the ones that haven’t are being shooed away by the Army). People are still celebrating and reporters are still savoring the chance to write “former President Mubarak” in their stories.
But, much remains to be done. Friday was only the first, and perhaps most glorious, step in what is sure to be a painful evolution. Egypt is now under the control of a military junta that appears to have grudging respect for the revolutionaries.
The revolutionaries, meanwhile, are busy cleaning up after themselves and arguing between themselves about what to do next.
What will happen next is impossible for me to guess. But, pay attention to these two people. Both of them had a lot to do with this revolution.
The first is Wael Ghonim (@Ghonim on Twitter), a Google executive and administrator of the FaceBook page of the movement. On Jan 27th he disappeared for twelve days, detained by state security forces until they could ascertain whether he and his movement were the result of foreign influence. He was released earlier last week, and his subsequent appearance on DreamTV gave the revolution new life when it desperately needed it. By any measure, he’s a bona fide part of the Revolution. (He’s also, btw, going to be on 60 Minutes tonight.)
Since then, Mr. Ghonim has used his personal cache as a face of the Revolution to call for educated Egyptians to return and “build the New Egypt.” He has started a Google spreadsheet where Egyptians can propose and vote on ideas for moving forward, called for people to go back to work, has met with the junta to develop plans for the way forward, and has their express permission to for a campaign to raise £100B Egyptian to build a new economy. His agenda, from what I can tell by reading his Twitter feed halfway around the world, appears to be one of cooperation, progress, boundless optimism, capitalism, and so on.