Saturday, February 12, 2011

Dear Mr. President,

True democracy is a beautiful thing. To watch people rise up as one to demand freedom from corrupt and cruel despots and tyrants as just happened in Egypt is simply breathtaking. That they did it in a non-violent manner, in spite of the brutality and thuggery of the state they opposed, is not only heroic but ennobling. And why is it that these movements are always led by the young? Why is it that only the young seem capable of an absolute belief in democracy and a desire for freedom and justice at whatever cost? How is it that these movements seem to rise up spontaneously after years, even generations, of suppression, catching fire in each individual person at the same time, ignited by some unseen spark? When Wael Ghonim says "Egyptians have made it clear that nothing less than genuine democracy will carry the day. Egypt is going to be a democratic state. You will be impressed," I believe him. Is it only the young who live their ideals? What is it that corrupts the older generations, makes them too timid or too corrupted or too lethargic to take back the freedoms that have been taken away by the state? And what is it that causes states to become so invested in the power they have been granted by the people that they lose their founding principles and come to oppose the people, anyone or anything that threatens the status quo? In the case of Egypt, you, and America, had an opportunity to play an important role in history. That time has come and gone and the America that was once a voice and active participant in democratic movements is now as irrelevant and ossified as Mubarak’s regime, too enmeshed in self-interest, too afraid of shifting the “balance of power” and losing power and influence. We still mouth the words of freedom and justice, but our words are hollow, empty rhetoric. Our government’s actions in this historic event won us neither friends nor respect. A single person, the young Google executive, Wael Ghonim, did more for the revolution than the president of the United States and all the diplomats and dignitaries at his disposal. That is a beautiful and troubling thing, Mr. President. Something to ponder.