Watching events unfold in Wisconsin less than a week after groundswell pluralistic protests in Egypt brought down an autocrat, has me in tears. Although some would like to claim it as a victory for an ideology or justification for a particular tenet--it is, I believe, an awakening.
An awakening of the idea that dignity matters.
I have had the privilege of traveling in Egypt and many times noted a resilient poise--in spite of the class divisions, scarcity of opportunity to improves one's lot in life, and the oppressive rule of the government. The spirit of a 7000 year old culture was bent, but not broken.
As events unfolded well beyond the West's ability to explain it. It was clear that the movement was popular, broadly based, and a synthesis of many viewpoints united by a common theme--dignity.
It was a moment of clarity, where the protesters summoned their courage, straightened their backs and wrote a new chapter in the history of Egypt. They were not conforming to Western ideas or indigenous religions. They were taking stock of their history--what they could be and opposing a regime that colluded with the West while in-dignifying its people. It was more than human rights as we are accustomed to defining it--it was the right to be human.
Of course the outward symptoms of a sickened society were poverty, lack of opportunity, and and an opaque callousness by its leaders. We are witness to this in our own society. Hosni Mubarak, had played various ethnicities, classes, and religions off each other to stay in power. As a shrewd leader, he realized that if these groups mobilized and set aside their differences, his days would be numbered.
Robert Malley and Hussein Agha stated in the Washington Post on February 11th .
In post-Mubarak Egypt, the rebirth of the Arab world where the United States and Europe have seen moderation and cooperation, the Arab public has sensed a loss of dignity and of the ability to make free decisions. True independence was traded in for Western military, financial and political support. That intimate relationship distorted Arab politics. Reliant on foreign nations' largesse and accountable to their judgment, the narrow ruling class became more responsive to external demands than to domestic aspirations.
This moment of clarity is now roiling the Middle East as many of our friendly authoritarians, who have maintained power at the cost of their citizen's dignity, are now themselves soon to be superannuated by events.
In Wisconsin....
While many of us laud the desire of those subjugated in the Middle East to have a say in government we ignore our own symptoms of systemic failure. We believe our own fantasy that we have a government by the people and for the people. That our problems can easily be solved by those on the left or right.
That the solutions are easy--if only the "right" party or ideology is in power. We maintain a delusory satisfaction that our government works for us. Well it does not.
Our originator's intention was that the multiple, diverse special interests would balance each other off and no one group would have a monopoly on power and influence. Well, the concentration of wealth and power have turned both parties into theater troupes--playing for the crowds without a serious intent to disrupt the status quo.
The typical response from the left has been mechanistic and facile--let's stoke an opposite but equal force--the Unions, government regulation, etc. Admittedly, that has been my approach for many years. Looking over the past 30 years I cannot say that it has been very successful.
Perhaps it is time to look Eastward and learn from our dignified cultural forefathers in Egypt.
The real issue is dignity. Until we stand up to the concentrated powers in our own country and demand participation and accountability we will not be taken seriously.
I am elated that 14 Democratic Senators in Wisconsin, stood up and chose not to be railroaded into bullying the unions. I am even happier that the protest has embraced many Wisconsin citizens from varied walks of life.
Hopefully, this will be the beginning of our awakening. Those of us on the left want to wax nostalgic about earlier Rooseveltian times. However, as Steven Hill recounted last October in the Washington Monthly of his encounter with French Protesters --
“Where are you Americans? Why aren't Americans out in the streets? If Americans are angry, why aren't they out in the streets like we are?” He said something quickly to his comrades in French, then reverted back to English. "It's like Americans have gone to sleep or something. You used to have many protests."
As Steven Hill again reminds us --
But the progressive left forgot the crucial words that FDR told labor and civil rights leader A. Philip Randolph when he met with the president and urged him to take action against discrimination. “I agree with you,” said President Roosevelt. “Now go out and make me do it.”
Wisconsin is again reminding us of our civic duty. Not to load our guns as the more credulous tea partistas would have it--but get out on the street and loudly proclaim your right to be heard--and seriously listened to.