College of Political Knowledge
Subject: International Politics/Political Theory
I realize that many people here in the US are watching or even give a darn about the occurrences in Northern Africa, Tunisia to be exact….I mean we are all dealing with the most recent form of violence in the US…the shootings and violence in Tucson….but we need to be paying attention…..there are somethings that are similar and watch how others handle their societal problems…..I am NOT saying that we should ignore the disaster in Arizona, but rather we should be able to do more than focus on one thing…..I usually try to post on international situations on Wednesdays, because there is more to the world than what happens in the US….but today the two will intersect…….
Okay back to Tunisia……Tunisia has been wracked by angry demonstrations, with citizens — angry with the government’s performance — protesting high unemployment, alleged corruption, rising prices, and a limitations on rights. And because of these things Tunisia is wracked with violent protests……
He (Ben Ali, the president) has decided to form a committee to probe the violence and a second committee to look into complaints of bribery, corruption and officials’ mistakes, TV reported.
Ben Ali also called on the country’s two houses of parliament to meet in an emergency session and implement presidential decrees to help raise employment, create more resources to improve peoples’ living and push for more investments.
Geez! And all it took was the people standing up and demanding, yes violently, that something be done…something that benefits the average person and NOT the wealthy of the country, which has become wealthier under the Ali administration, some say because of rampant corruption…
Maybe the people in the US should take a page out of this playbook…..not the violence…..repeat NOT the violence….but maybe they should start demonstrating for jobs, fair wages, adequate health care and a break from the massive favoritism shown to corporation, especially since they are NOT creating anything but wealth for themselves and their friends in Washington….
It is beyond the time for Americans to return to the days of civil disobedience……since the political system is NOT working for ALL Americans…..it is time to make the system work and work better than it has in 30 years……my friends…time to return to the streets! We have waited long enough for the politicos to do the right thing and apparently they are incapable of such….then we need to take things into our own hands and MAKE IT HAPPEN!
Addendum: Since I wrote this piece more about the situation has come to light….from a piece written in the Christian Science Monitor……..
Tunisia’s President Ben Ali, a dictator whose continued reign become untenable for the rest of the Tunisian elite in the face of massive public protests, has just resigned. Al Jazeera is reporting that Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi has taken power as interim president.The Tunis airport has been closed due to the coup d’état/people power revolution/peaceful transfer of power/whatever it is that just happened. I’m guessing that if all this is well-received by the crowds on the streets in Tunis (which seems a safe bet) that the airport will soon reopen, at least in a limited way. The new government will be eager to show it’s addressing popular demands, that a military dictatorship to replace the Ben Ali dictatorship is not on the cards.
The voice of the people has been heard and action taken……give you any ideas?
Well, from what we see in the UK news, broadly you’re right, but it’s nothing like that straightforward and it ain’t over yet, either. Meanwhile, apart from dates, one of Tunisia’s principle money spinners was tourism… that’s not looking too promising for the near future right now…
It looks as if the corruption of the government is breaking down a but…there has been numerous resignations…..maybe it will settle down and the tourists will return…….
I don’t think you demonstrate for jobs and wages. That really only feed politicians, and they don’t create jobs. I used to think this too when I was young, and then it dawned on me: I am accountable for my own success. No one can or will make me successful, I have to do it on my own. So I sucked it up, put myself through college (starting a business in college that paid half my tuition), got my degree, and figured out the path I could take that would bring me success and money. I sacrificed my social and personal life to some extent, and carved my path. It took until I was about 30 to really start to get ahead of my loans and debt, and start to invest and save. It was not easy and not overnight, yet I persevered and succeeded despite dozens of setbacks. Now, there are harder working, and smarter people than I… I’m probably somewhere slightly above average in both. Yet, I’m considered “rich” by the left, and therefor despite working longer hours, figuring out better ways, and being more focused, I’m not only expected to carry the heaviest load in society, but to now increase it? Why? Because some people take the approach of just demanding something that I worked for, and they did not?
I don’t buy it as a solution. I see it as a waste of time.
I think demonstrations…not necessarily violent ones….can bring about change……if they get rid of some of the corruption they could find a new source of employment….I am not saying that it is a fix-all…but rather could be a start to a better way…..
No, I don’t agree – there only two valid reasons that I see can be productive if enough people demonstrate en mass…
1) Over a particular, clearly defined and sharply focussed single issue.
2) In order to bring down a government in the hope of total nationwide change for the better (which is rarely the result).
So far the rats of the last corruption are leaving the country like rats…….not saying that the next will be better….but at least the people got their way….for way…..
You think so? We’ll see.
It is a tribal society and anything can make it fall on its face…..