Middle East Focus: Facebook and Pitchforks, Dictators and Non-Elections, Platters Go Egyptian..........

Arabia Deserta

Facebook and Pitchforks, Dictators and Non-Elections, Platters Go Egyptian..........

There is a media war beginning between rival political currents in Egypt. It may soon to become a political war between supporters of Gamal Mubarak to replace his father as dictator of Egypt and his opponents. The supporters are mostly ruling party youths and sons of leaders, people who benefit the most from Mubarak’s 28 year rule, and their movement is called “We want you” also known as “We demand you” and “There is no alternative to you” the latter sung to the tune of the Platters’ “Only you, youuuuu”. Then there are those who oppose Gamal Mubarak taking over from his father as dictator of Egypt, and they support a movement called “We don’t want you” or “He shall not rule”. The equivalent of sending him and his daddy a "Dear John" letter. The next presidential “non-elections” are two years away.

Gamal and supporters are heavily using Facebook to garner support. Probably something like 99.8% of Egypt’s people have no idea what Facebook is, never heard of it. So the whole campaign is for the educated bureaucratic classes of the Nile Delta cities. Which shows that it doesn’t matter what the 80 million peasants want or think. That has been the story of Egypt throughout its long history, with possibly a brief period during the middle of the 20th century. That was just before Egypt declined to become a second-rate regional power which was just before it became a third-rate regional power, both under Mr. Mubarak steady and snoozing hand.
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