GlocalNet

Knowing how things will ultimately turn out in Egypt is near impossible to predict.  There are too many variables, too many players, too many scenarios, and too many nations all watching because Egypt is critical for many reasons two of which are oil and middle-east stability.  However, knowing where the people are and what they want is very clear.  It has huge implications for the world and where it is headed. 

First, the obvious, the world is connected.  It was incredible hearing the President of Iran promoting the revolution in Egypt - only to try to shut his country down - and even now the Iranians are standing up.  In Yemen, Tunisia, Iran, Egypt - people long to be free.  I’ve written about this before - but this is ultimately why Al Qaeda type groups will not succeed except in isolated corners of the world where people don’t feel connected.  You can’t get on the internet, read all the opinions, hear all the news, see how other people are living and be content for things to stay the same.  As technology develops - everyone will be connected - even places where governments try to prevent it.  It’s not “Facebook” its technology - and that’s about being connected.  People don’t want “grandfathers” treating them as children - you saw that when Mubarak unintentionally patronized Egyptians as children. 

The greatest exporter of freedom is not the military - it’s the internet.  I would even say - more than television - people are getting their news and information from the internet.  As an American and believing in the freedom of the press I always assumed our news was the most accurate - but our news is driven by consumerism, not a government.  Our news publishes what sells - it slants and biases the news as market share.  We get it the same way other governments let dictators influence it.  You have to watch FOX & CNN and guess somewhere in the middle.  I like the BBC. I’ve even recently heard several Americans who travel globally say Al Jazeera is fair and balanced.  Who knows? But if you’re on the internet and you can read all their websites and the people they write about you can go to their websites - you can find out whatever you need to know. 

Second, keep in mind the majority of people in the middle-east are young people.  In the past year I’ve been around a lot of middle-eastern college students here and abroad.  They all want to be educated, have jobs, build families and provide opportunities for their kids.  I listened to one young man in Egypt interviewed on the news as he explained “We are not about extremist.  We are not Islamist.  We are educated young people who want to live in a free world where we choose all things - even our religion.”  He was a Muslim. This was truly an extraordinary statement.  A backdrop of cheering college students were behind him.  I am impressed with those young adults I’ve been meeting with.  Invariably, on airplanes, in restaurants - wherever I am - young Middle-Easterners will come over and want to talk about the world, America, how it’s changing and how Americans see it all.  They want to know what American young people think and how they view them.  I’m excited that Ben, Jill, & Ti (my kids) get to grow up in this world.  It’s going to be as exciting a day as any in the whole history of humanity.  We are moving from an industrial world, able to emerge because of the Enlightenment that builds platforms of connectivity - to a world of ideas and ways to live that will rival our own American revolution.  The only difference is - instead of a nation being born on ideas - not race, religion, etc., - we are seeing a global generation emerge that will redefine the world in ways that cannot be imagined. 

Third, there are those less desirable elements that would take advantage of this for their own good - this is greatest threat; old men, with old ideas from the past few centuries - waiting in the wings for their days, riding on the backs of young people who want to live in the 21st century.  The philosophy, the ideology, the worldviews, even the faith - are radically different expressions from each other.  How will the enthusiasm and naivety of youth compete with shrewd old men and ideas that hold men tight instead of freeing them?  Who are those old men filled with wisdom that can and will step in to be a bridge allowing them to build their own future? 

Egyptians are brilliant people.  Google Dalia Mogahed, Amr Khalid, or even “famous Egyptians” - they are sharp people.  Many of their sharpest live in the West.  These people are critical for the future of Egypt.  Though he’s been criticized a lot for not doing enough - our President has done more to engage the Middle-East than any other heretofore.  I’m glad he gave his Cairo speech there - despite a perception of not acting on what he said - I can’t help but believe it planted seeds of thought that will be beneficial for the relationship between our two nations. 

What does it mean for America?  We’d better come to grips with a world that also wants to prosper and develop like us - with both similar and different values and worldviews.  We no longer have the luxury of living as western isolationists using the world to provide goods, services, resources, etc., for us.  They want cars, education, houses, and if we don’t take the time to understand them, our isolation will ultimately strangle us.  I never viewed us as Americans as isolationists until I began to travel and engage the world.  Traveling, going on vacations, and having companies overseas doesn’t make us global.  We are still the center of our own universe. 

We Americans have it all wrong - we thought we could ignore the world only for what we wanted out of it - the world is switching legs - it will be easier for them to ignore us and we will be the losers for that.  Now, more than ever before - is the time to reach out, to love, to try to understand, to serve - to be truly present in the moment in the world. 

I am certain of this - what has happened in Egypt - will continue to happen around the world and dictators and tyrants have been put on notice.  I want Egypt to succeed.  Will they?  I don’t know, but Yemen, Tunisia, Iran . . . . ?????? . . . . There will be a place the people will take their government back and build a healthy society.  There was a national revolution of colonial states in 1776 - in the 21st century - you don’t have to be a semiotician to recognize the fact that nation states globally are coming of age.  Someone will get it right - Peace upon Egypt and may God bless you.