A groundswell of courageous acts.

[Joe Fields]

We, here in the U.S. need to acknowledge and understand the gravity and import of the courageous acts by ordinary citizens of the countries of Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan and others, as their demands for freedom and a form of democracy, where none had ever existed are beginning to take hold and change the geopolitical nature of that part of the world.

These are countries where few freedoms have ever existed. These are countries where, the slightest hint of protest has always been met with swift brute force, the type of force that always crushes any type of dissent.

For the peoples of these countries to rise up in one voice and demand just a few of the basic freedoms that we, here in the United States have taken for granted for so long is to me, a true source of inspiration. The despotic governments of these nations must be trembling in fear privately, for they must realize that such movements can rarely be squelched. Their status is not quo. Their power is being challenged and is not secure, and, in fact in danger of dissipating in a relatively short amount of time.

I salute the people of these countries. They have lifted my spirits. But I must ask this question...Why, in this country, the country that has, in the past, been a beacon of hope, and a shining example of what life could be as a democratic society to every country in the world, why do we wring our hands and do nothing, as the freedoms that we have so jealously guarded in the past slip away from us?

It sure seems as though we could take a few pointers from the courageous peoples of Tunisia, Egypt and Jordan.

[Robb]

1. Well, for one thing, no one just killed your entire family for typing what you just did.

If they had, an escalation from hand-wringing might be more warranted. :shrug:

[Joe Fields]

3. It shouldn't take that here. It is warranted right now. In fact...

it has been warranted for quite some time.

[DCKit]

2. Because we are no longer "that country".

They have seen our hypocrisy and realize the U.S. isn't coming to rescue them. So they've got to do it themselves.

[sabrina 1]

4. First Latin America, now Western supported Arab dictatorships

Europeans have not been silent either. I think the people of the world are becoming Globalists themselves after decades of Global Corporate corruption destroying their economies and their desire for freedom from oppression.

France, Ireland, Spain, Iceland, Greece, people everywhere have had ENOUGH. They've had enough of Capitalist corruption and destruction of their environments and the support by the Western powers of the worst dictators in Latin America, in the ME, in Africa, in China.

I hope the U.S. takes the right lesson from this global uprising against policies that for far too long have moved the wealth up to a tiny greedy and corrupt few while the masses are asked to go on 'austerity' programs.

It was inevitable, but greedy rulers never have enough and they never learn from history that you cannot keep the human spirit down forever.

[leftstreet]

5. +1

[Joe Fields]

6. Thank you for that.

Yes, France, Great Britain, Ireland have all seen a groundswell of pushback by their citizens very recently. I almost added them to my thread, but instead wanted to focus on those people in other parts of the world that did not enjoy the freedom of dissent, and have done so at great risk to their health.