It started as the next relay after the the Whirlwind of Democracy sweeping the Arab world claimed its first scalp in Tunisia it was overlooked briefly because Egypt one of the known giants was on the edge,it has now become history that last week Hosni Mubarak gave in under immense pressure after over thirty years of iron-fisted rule. From the look of things they are still basking in what is the new found euphoria of what power comes with the realisation of what democracy means literally - people power.
This morning the beginning of the Formula 1 Grand Prix season seems to be under serious threat because of the present political situation unfolding in Bahrain at the moment. It seems that the military unlike their colleagues in Egypt are more intent on killing of as many of their citizens who chose to disobey instructions to stop protests and return home.
Yesterday it was Libya in the news and Col Ghaddafi who undoubtedly holds the record for the longest single rule in Africa was facing down determined protested who too were proving determined in the face of reprisals from law enforcement. It doesn't get any better as the flames of protest sweeping North Africa especially the Arab World do not seem to want to die. Protesters everywhere tasting blood in Tunisia and Egypt believe now the war can be one anywhere if organised,structured and planned properly.
The thing that most of these governments have not planned for is organised protest with the new intervention of Social Media, the twitter and facebook options have been put to unbelievable use in the last two Arab developments. The interesting comment however being made is that no two protests are unfolding in exactly the same way.
Today marks the moment of truth. In the capital three young men's funerals iare going to be attended by individuals protesting their deaths at the hands of the military yesterday. There is the pent-up anger of muslim faithfuls that will spill out onto the streets after Friday prayers. It does'nt look good.
Even though Washington has asked for the government to show restraint, it doesn't look that anybody is ready to listen. Is the Whirlwind of Democracy on the verge of claiming another scalp?
Thursday 17 February 2011
Tuesday 8 February 2011
Future Political hope vs Daunting Economic reality
I have been taking a careful look at the political landscape in both the United Kingdom and the United States viz-a-viz what they hope to achieve within the ambit of limited economic resources,and to tell the truth it does not look promising.
Mr Obama has been in office for a little over twenty-four months and as much as it seem that he has been able to achieve on the political front the economic reality of the slow recovery from the recession keeps on staring him and his team of economic advisers in the face. I will give him an A+ for his dogged perseverance though.
Across the Atlantic his friend of the "special relationship" Mr Cameron is having it equally as bad he might have pulled a tiny victory from the bankers this morning by putting a permanent tax that is supposed to raise something within the region of an extra two billion pounds towards cutting the deficit. I would give him and his team of economic advisers an A- in what they have been doing to try and turn the economy around.
But when you look at the signs, they do not bode well for either of them. Mr President and Mr Prime Minister both have increasingly growing unemployment figures every month, evidence shows that growth of both economies are slowing down and no wonder too. With the big brother attitude of having to help bail out everyone else who needed help in the Recession.
The only thing these gentlemen need is every ounce of their ability as statesmen to pool economic and political force and somehow pull off the impossible in the next few months. With Strikes,Protests and Demonstrations about everything from wage freezes to proposed tax cuts the next few months are about to become very very interesting.
Mr Obama has been in office for a little over twenty-four months and as much as it seem that he has been able to achieve on the political front the economic reality of the slow recovery from the recession keeps on staring him and his team of economic advisers in the face. I will give him an A+ for his dogged perseverance though.
Across the Atlantic his friend of the "special relationship" Mr Cameron is having it equally as bad he might have pulled a tiny victory from the bankers this morning by putting a permanent tax that is supposed to raise something within the region of an extra two billion pounds towards cutting the deficit. I would give him and his team of economic advisers an A- in what they have been doing to try and turn the economy around.
But when you look at the signs, they do not bode well for either of them. Mr President and Mr Prime Minister both have increasingly growing unemployment figures every month, evidence shows that growth of both economies are slowing down and no wonder too. With the big brother attitude of having to help bail out everyone else who needed help in the Recession.
The only thing these gentlemen need is every ounce of their ability as statesmen to pool economic and political force and somehow pull off the impossible in the next few months. With Strikes,Protests and Demonstrations about everything from wage freezes to proposed tax cuts the next few months are about to become very very interesting.
Monday 7 February 2011
Confusion in the Ancient Citadel of Knowledge
We enter into the second week of pretexts in Cairo,the capital city of Egypt. The resolve of the people has not dampened one bit. They agree to reforms,they agree to orderly transition of power, but they are sticking to their guns. Mr Hosni Mubarak must leave office. He has resigned his leadership of the ruling party believing that to be enough of a concession to his people to allow him to stay in office until the next elections in September.
Listening to him speak on national television,you begin to wonder wether he is inhabiting the same planet as the people he is suppose to be ruling. Reports claim that at least 300 people have died in the last fortnight. And several hundred have been injured in the ensuing protests. The underlying issue that makes this all so sad is that nothing seems to make sense in Egypt anymore. Since the Army have said that they will not fire on their citizens their role has been reduced to peacekeeping between the factions of pro an anti-Mubarak protester who last weekend turned the Tahir Square into a war zone.
Civil normalcy seemingly returned to the capital today with banks opening and businesses trying to get back to the everyday routine of trading,but the restlessness is still there in the air as the protesters refuse to quit from the Square. They were photographed sleeping between the tracks of tanks occupying the Square just to ascertain that they were not corralled into specific places at the behest of the authorities.
It seems no one has the answers, The international community are asking Mr Mubarak to do the right thing(as if he understands the meaning of the sentence even if it was spelled out to him clearly in egyptian) meeting between the government and the coalition of the opposition have not brought forth anything tangible,yet America is praising Mr Mubarak for the concessions he has made so far(Mrs Clinton I think you need to choose your words a little more carefully). Short of Mr Mubarak leaving the government completely which he says will amount to the whole system collapsing in chaos,I do not see any way forward out of the confusion that has engulfed this ancient citadel of knowledge,so sad.
Listening to him speak on national television,you begin to wonder wether he is inhabiting the same planet as the people he is suppose to be ruling. Reports claim that at least 300 people have died in the last fortnight. And several hundred have been injured in the ensuing protests. The underlying issue that makes this all so sad is that nothing seems to make sense in Egypt anymore. Since the Army have said that they will not fire on their citizens their role has been reduced to peacekeeping between the factions of pro an anti-Mubarak protester who last weekend turned the Tahir Square into a war zone.
Civil normalcy seemingly returned to the capital today with banks opening and businesses trying to get back to the everyday routine of trading,but the restlessness is still there in the air as the protesters refuse to quit from the Square. They were photographed sleeping between the tracks of tanks occupying the Square just to ascertain that they were not corralled into specific places at the behest of the authorities.
It seems no one has the answers, The international community are asking Mr Mubarak to do the right thing(as if he understands the meaning of the sentence even if it was spelled out to him clearly in egyptian) meeting between the government and the coalition of the opposition have not brought forth anything tangible,yet America is praising Mr Mubarak for the concessions he has made so far(Mrs Clinton I think you need to choose your words a little more carefully). Short of Mr Mubarak leaving the government completely which he says will amount to the whole system collapsing in chaos,I do not see any way forward out of the confusion that has engulfed this ancient citadel of knowledge,so sad.
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