Hosni Mubarak kept a boot on the necks of the Egyptian people for 30 years with the help of what army? The same Egyptian military we (America) train, fund (1.2 billion annually) and maintain as our proxy ass kickers still rule the country with an iron fist! Other than Israel, Egypt's military receives more US tax payer dollars (weapons and training) than any other country. Their Generals and military officers are brought to America to receive their marching orders. Imagine if our military leaders were trained in a foreign country? In other words, the 30 year oppression under Mubarak and our proxy army is directly tied to the "actions" of Washington DC, and the" inaction's" of the American people. Ironic how we give a "shout-out" to our Egyptian counter-parts and mimic their "occupy" strategy, yet fail to make the obvious connection or acknowledge our elected leaders (both Democrat and Republican) as the "puppet-masters" of that 30 year oppression.
Ethar El-Katatney:
In 2006, El-Katatney travelled to England with Amr Khaled, the popular Egyptian televangelist, for a three week youth training program. She later joined him in an Islamic talk show called Human Insights that aired Ramadan 2006, and was a participant in his reality tv showMujaddidun, which aired in 2010. She was eliminated in the semi-final episode, and was ranked third.
Born in Saudi Arabia, raised in Egypt, and educated in Western schools, El-Katatney has an undergraduate business degree from the American University in Cairo where she was editor-in-chief of the student newspaper. As an undergraduate, she was selected as one of 6 students to blog on the AUC Website.[1], and during her commencement she gave the graduation speech [6] and was nominated for the Parent's Association cup.[7] El-Katatney graduated in June 2011 with two graduate degrees from the same university, an MBA and an MA in television and digital journalism.
Something about El-Katatney's message makes me wonder if she is speaking as the face of the Egyptian youth or a carefully crafted western facade that our corporate media promotes as that face? I have seen her on CNN, MSNBC, FOX.......
El-Katatney seems to be soft pedaling the idea that the Egyptian people are "tired of revolution!" On "UP, with Chris Hayes" El-Katatney said that "the Devil we know (the military) is better than the uncertainty of revolution". I will be the first to admit she is good: personable, pretty, and articulate! Everything an effective "troll" should be. In the end, who are you going to believe, Sharif Abdel Kouddous (Democracy Now) or the corporate media's latest pretty face?
http://www.democracynow.org/...
I once listen to Barbara Walters and Joan Rivers when asked about the "Arab Spring" declare (callously) that the 30 year brutal oppression of the millions of human beings in the Middle East mattered little to them; both seemed to view the idea of "Democracy" in the the region as a potential treat to Israel. Strange that no one asked the opinion of Jews like Noam Chomsky, Norman G. Finkelstein, or Howard Zinn(when he was alive)?
Muslim Brotherhoodtherhood:
Both Rivers and Walters invoked the image of the Muslim Brotherhood taking over Egypt and threatening poor defenseless "nuclear, White Phosphorus and cluster-bombed armed to the teeth Israel? Ironically, in the 50's our CIA teamed up with the Muslim Brotherhood to overthrow Gamal Abdel Nasser; that pinko-socialist, "pan-Arab" anti-capitalist trouble maker. Ironically, the Brotherhood want these sham elections to proceed seeing for themselves a way to win a few seats in the new halls of power.
Mubarak's 30 year oppression of the Egyptian people was carried out by a military America trained, supplied and maintained. Most if not all of the Egyptian people know this and long to be free of us and our proxy-thugs! Most Egyptians wanted time to form opposition political parties and pick candidates that were not part of the old Mubarak gang! The military dictators (we still control) pushed through these sham elections where only the old guard stand any chance of winning. Our corporate media is playing it's role in this facade by flooding the airways with trolls like Ethar El-Katatney and completely shutting out the voices on the streets of Egypt. Most of the Egyptian state media is being gobbled up by local millionaires which should serve to drive a stake into the heart of any real chance at Democracy just as it has done here in the "home of the brave".
Purple Fingers:
The new symbol of Empire (Colonialism 2.0) seems to be the "purple finger". Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and now Egypt. Election being held in a country under occupation by the same military that keep a boot on the neck of Democracy for 30 years, being over-seen by the country (US) that pulled the strings of these thugs. Kinda like giving Democracy the (purple) finger! I wonder how long it will be before our other proxy-thugs like Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Yemen or Kuwait at least adopt the facade of Democracy? Our corporate media will surely play their part as they are doing now.