Vote Mubarak, a la American style
This Mubarak guy is not bad. He can mutate into anything. Nowadays, he's playing the democracy game, and he's mutating into a presidential candidate. Is this for real?!
This is actually much better than before. Thanks Condi for pushing for democracy that far here. We needed the change. I think I can actually survive this elections campaign without major psychological disturbances like those I used to have in previous presidential referendums. The last time I was in Egypt prior to the presidential referendum, I was sick to my stomach from all the blunt sucking up the nation was dragged into that I was ready to throw up on the voting card.
This time, they're atleast making a good show. If we're going to suffer from the same known outcome anyway, then atleast let us enjoy the preceding show, and this is as fun as it gets. Next to my house, there's this huge two sided glossy paid advertisement with a neat picture of the great intellect Mubarak wearing a cool tie and shirt, which says; "Mubarak 2005. Leadership... Crossing to the future (www.mubarak2005.com)". I won't even bother to check the website. Every morning when I move the daily state-owned newspapers from our door mat to the living room, I check the first page headline news. It always starts with Mubarak ofcourse, but now it also says what the other candidates say too. Yes, Mubarak is the first on the page, and he gets more space, but its more relieving to see this than to see the daily big "YES to Mubarak" they used to hit us on the face with before.
The best thing about this show is that we can ignore it all together. Before, you really couldn't do that. It was disgustingly blunt. Last night, Mubarak delivered his campaign speech, which was only aired on the private Dream TV, out of the fancy Azhar Park located in old Cairo. Ofcourse, I didn't even care to watch. A friend of mine called me during the speech telling me, "I can't stand that guy anymore. He's pissing me off big time. I'm suffocating." So I ask him, "what's wrong? is our friend Tarek pissing you off again?" "No, Tarek eih!" he says, "its this Mubarak guy." Those unappreciative Egyptians, always complaining, even with a good show!
So, we already know the outcome of this fancy show, but like Baheyya says, it is hard work on these guys this time, considering that they won't just have to simply make Mubarak win in a referendum with 99% Yes votes. This time they have to give away some charity votes to some of the other candidates for their supporting roles.
But really, to ordinary Egyptians like myself, do we care about this whole show, or about how the elections look like? I certainly don't give a damn. I'm just glad the show is not as sickening as it used to be, and that I can ignore it. I have enough psychological problems as it is, I don't need Mubarak to add to my misery. We already know what the real outcome is, and how hollow Mubarak's promises are. As my friend says, Mubarak must be cursing the day that he listened to his son's advise, Gamal, putting himself through this whole mockery of an election campaign, a la American style. The guy is making a fool of himself, or that's how some Egyptians look at it. Especially that he doesn't need to do that. He used to have a firm grip, and everyone else can go to hell. Egyptians like it that way too. Or that's what most Egyptians say about their fellow Egyptians.
I was thinking of volunteering in one of those NGOs that will be monitoring the elections, but luckily I came to my senses and am back to my ordinary Egyptian state of apathy again. I can't see how this election will improve our lives, so I don't care. I don't care. I don't care. Now, back to work.
6 comments:
I am right now so frustrated and fed up with the politics and actions of my government. I feel very helpless to change anything--I may live in a declared democracy but it often does not really seem to be one. Some days I cannot find it in myself to care anymore either. I'm sorry my government involved itself with your Mubarak at all. It really is none of our business. If it is any consolation according to the latest polls the majority of Americans do not trust our president or his cabinet to be truthful. Perhaps they are waking up. Good luck with your Mubarak. Is he any worse than Bush? If you had to choose, which is the lesser of two evils?
Jane, are you drunk? Isn't the election farce and the totalitarian system enough for you to see the differences? Do you need to listen to peoples fear about being dragged from their homes in the middle of the night as punishment for something a relative might have said or done? Or growing you you'll never choose your education or job, probably having to fight for your bread and beans every day?
Ritzy I meant no offense and certainly did not intend to belittle any atrocities committed. I openly admit that I know very little about the political situation in Egypt, other than what I read here and what little I find in the english language news. My comment was based on my own anger and frustration with the politics of my own country...the lack of power that most ordinary citizens in the US truly have and the way my government ignores and uses its' people. Again I apologize.
Ritzy, I have seen that Egypt's current government abuses its' power. I saw the peaceful protesters being beaten and dragged away. It was horrible. And I am ignorant, I'm sure, of many other wrongs committed against the Egyptian people. The basis of my comment was that the policies of George Bush have sent thousands of his own people, many from low-income and poor backgrounds, across the world to die fighting in a war that should not have been, in a war that cannot be won. Along with that tens of thousands of Iraqi men, women, and children have been killed, all due to Bush's decision. It does not appear that this will end anytime soon. To me that is inexcusable. It does not matter if he did this for money, or oil, or his own glorification. It is wrong and the facts have shown it was not done for a just cause. Billions of dollars are being spent to bomb and maim and kill and he feels it is justified. Most Americans believe it is time to end the occupation of Iraq yet our president refuses to listen. If my comment was upsetting or insulting, I am sorry. I said what I said out of outrage at this awful situation, along with many other foreign and domestic issues within America, too numerous to mention here.
"...and am back to my ordinary Egyptian state of apathy again."
& "I certainly don't give a damn."
Like you are working very hard to prove that you are an Ordinary Egyptian.
You 've rightly depected the poltical apathy of most (uneducated) Egyptian folks. Most of your posts about this topic reflect a great deal of poltical conciousness and intllectuall awarness and hence your "psychological disturbances" during bad shows, Thatis NO ordinary.
Hilarious!
Ordinary hilarious though.
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