The example of Tunisia made Egypt's people realize that the time is now, maybe not now or never, but an opportunity that should not be wasted. They see people lifted up to the middle class in countries like China, Brazil, Turkey, India, and even the possibility of change in Russia. They wonder why this once vibrant center of the Middle East is left behind. They listened to Obama reminding them of their gloried past and of the virtue of rule for and by the people. Together with millions of people like them around the world they keep each other informed on Facebook and Twitter. They are part of this growing global consciousness of people reaching out to one another. They believe that they have the right to hope for a better life.
Picture: Graffiti on the Kasr al-Nil Bridge in central Cairo on Saturday. Ahmed Ramadan/TwitPic (New York Times, 2011-01-30)
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May 15, 2011. Thomas Friedman has finally come to the same conclusion:
"As I’ve tried to argue, this uprising, at root, is not political. It’s existential. It is much more Albert Camus than Che Guevara. All these Arab regimes to one degree or another stripped their people of their basic dignity. They deprived them of freedom and never allowed them to develop anywhere near their full potential. And as the world has become hyper-connected, it became obvious to every Arab citizen just how far behind they were — not only to the West, but to China, India and parts of sub-Saharan Africa."
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/15/opinion/15friedman.html?ref=columnists
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