Rakhmetov
28th January 2011, 14:42
Capitalism is breaking apart at its weakest links. Remember what the fearful conservative capitalist economist Martin Wolf from the Financial Times declared a couple of years ago when the financial crisis hit:
“this would be a recipe… for xenophobia, nationalism and revolution.”
As I watch events unfolding on the streets of Tunisia, Yemen, Egypt and elsewere in the region I'm reminded of a summer I spent in Egypt studying Arabic language and Middle East politics at The American University in Cairo. For a time I was booked into the upscale Shepheard Hotel (on the Fulbright Commission's dime) on the banks of the Nile in downtown Cairo. Over the course of several weeks I came to know Mohammed, my regular breakfast server, and learned that he had a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering but owing to the abysmal economic situation considered himself fortunate to have any job to support his family.
One morning a young Kuwaiti prince swept in, sat down at an adjacent table and immediately began to berate Mohammed's as if he were a servant. As nearly as i could tell from my rudimentay Arabic he complained about the tea water's temperature, insufficient shine on the silverware and the food's quality. I noticed that Mohammed bowed, accepted this humiliating treatment and profusely apologized to avoid offending this arrogant punk.
After the Kuwaiti left, I asked Mohammed about their exchange and he replied "Yes, that happens quite frequently. These spoiled rich kids from the Gulf come to Cairo to whore around and load up on luxury goods. Yes, it's difficult to be treated this way but I can't afford to lose this job. They can do this way because the oil happens to be under their sand. My hope is that some day we will overthrow all these corrupt regimes, starting with our own, and this democratic movement will spread to the Gulf states. My dream is that we could use the oil wealth to benefit all people of the region and even extend it to people around the Third World. Then he wistfully said, "If your government didn't support these wretched regimes my dream might come true. Please tell your citizens that we are suffering because your government backed Sadat and now Mubarak."
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/01/28
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/01/28-7
http://www.marxist.com/top-economic-strategists-warns.htm
http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/01/28/egypt.protests/index.html?hpt=T1&iref=BN1
http://www.marxist.com/egypt-revolt-continues.htm
“this would be a recipe… for xenophobia, nationalism and revolution.”
As I watch events unfolding on the streets of Tunisia, Yemen, Egypt and elsewere in the region I'm reminded of a summer I spent in Egypt studying Arabic language and Middle East politics at The American University in Cairo. For a time I was booked into the upscale Shepheard Hotel (on the Fulbright Commission's dime) on the banks of the Nile in downtown Cairo. Over the course of several weeks I came to know Mohammed, my regular breakfast server, and learned that he had a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering but owing to the abysmal economic situation considered himself fortunate to have any job to support his family.
One morning a young Kuwaiti prince swept in, sat down at an adjacent table and immediately began to berate Mohammed's as if he were a servant. As nearly as i could tell from my rudimentay Arabic he complained about the tea water's temperature, insufficient shine on the silverware and the food's quality. I noticed that Mohammed bowed, accepted this humiliating treatment and profusely apologized to avoid offending this arrogant punk.
After the Kuwaiti left, I asked Mohammed about their exchange and he replied "Yes, that happens quite frequently. These spoiled rich kids from the Gulf come to Cairo to whore around and load up on luxury goods. Yes, it's difficult to be treated this way but I can't afford to lose this job. They can do this way because the oil happens to be under their sand. My hope is that some day we will overthrow all these corrupt regimes, starting with our own, and this democratic movement will spread to the Gulf states. My dream is that we could use the oil wealth to benefit all people of the region and even extend it to people around the Third World. Then he wistfully said, "If your government didn't support these wretched regimes my dream might come true. Please tell your citizens that we are suffering because your government backed Sadat and now Mubarak."
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/01/28
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/01/28-7
http://www.marxist.com/top-economic-strategists-warns.htm
http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/01/28/egypt.protests/index.html?hpt=T1&iref=BN1
http://www.marxist.com/egypt-revolt-continues.htm