Something to Learn From the Egyptian People
Istanbul, Turkey, Februay 14, 2011.
Salaroche

In the year 2008, Barak Obama won over John McCain with a margin of over 8 million votes. This means that, in that election, about 7% of the electorate had the upper hand over the conservative wing of the country regarding what were the perceived needs of the nation at the time. Yet, since his election, neither Obama nor the American electorate in general, have consistently brought that simple but determinant electoral fact to the public's attention in a significant manner.

I can understand why Obama would be reluctant to remind the Republicans of the ideological platform that he was elected on. It would have been a bit divisive for Obama to repeatedly say: "Well, these are the basic policies that I was elected to implement and I'm not going to let any of you right-wing recalcitrant ideologues stop me from implementing them".

However, to say at this point in time that Obama is a "Centrist" would be just a euphemistic way to say that "Obama is a wimp". In a very clear way, the American right wing has stepped all over Obama in most significant ways they have wanted.

But what about the people who elected Obama? Where are they? Where is their rage for the way Obama's policies have been watered down in the past and are in danger of being reversed or wiped out in the future? What happened to the American people's will to demonstrate in the streets in the name of freedom of expression?

There are a few things Americans could learn from the recent events in Tunisia and in Egypt. The main one being that direct democracy is the surest way to make the people's will understood by their government. The right to vote is fine and it's irreplaceable, but there comes a time when the vote may not by itself be the best way to let the government elites know what the will of the people really is.

Why don't Americans demonstrate in the streets today as much as they have demonstrated in the past? Because, in a way, the "American Dream" has been hijacked by the forces of conformism, which are fed by the often misconceived notion that just the fact of living in America is reason enough to be content and satisfied with our living conditions.

In that sense, the Tunisian and the Egyptian people have something to show to the American people: It's never too late or to early to show the world what it is that you really stand for. It doesn't really matter at what stage of the democratic process your country is in, taking to the streets in a peaceful and organized manner is always an effective way to get what you REALLY want.

There is a lesson for the world to learn in the recent events in North Africa, and the American people should pay close attention to it.

Salaroche