11/11/11

I'm going back to Tahrir Square today. I haven't been there since March. Haven't felt a part of the movement. But today I want to lend a warm body towards the attendance count. I'm not optimistic on our turn out.
I don't see much interest from the few contacts on my Facebook page. And there seems to be a rumor that the 11/11/11 group is shady. "Masionic" was one term I heard. It doesnt seem to matter that an open letter from Cairo went out asking for international support to shed light on the continued jailing and military tribunals for Egyptian activists and bloggers.

But it's not about any given group for me anyway. I do believe we need to keep our movement connected with the iNternational civil society that's forming.

It gives us enhanced legitimacy for one thing. It also keeps an international light shining on Cairo, making it a little more difficult for the internal manipulation of issues. And, it helps add our voice to this growing phenomena we are witnessing from Oakland, to Wall St., to London, Madrid, Rome, and so on.

If you walked in Tahrir in January, you can see today there is more to be done to resist the natural counter revolution. Emergency law is still in place. Military trials have sentenced over 12000 Egyptians. Even the state owned Al Ahram lists the many strong armed tactics we've seen since February 11.

Besides our own situation, there are regional issues that warrant our continued show of solidarity. Just as we stood unified in Tahrir to say we no longer recognize the regime - we can stand together with the people of Syria. We in Cairo have an advantage with the Arab League hosted right off the Square. I'd like to see this organization put in its proper context of a moribound agency that should be eliminated in favor of something that more accurately reflects the Arab street.

Borrowed from Mr. Linton Kwesi Johnson

mi revalueshanary fren is nat di same agen                                            

yu know fram wen ?

fram di masses shata silence

staat fi grumble

fram pawty paramoncy tek a tumble

fram Hungary to Cairo to Romania

fram di cozy cyassle dem staat fi crumble

wen wi buck-up wananada in a reaznin

mi fren always en up pan di same ting

dis is di sang im love fi sing :

Kaydar

e ad to go

Zhivkov

e ad to go

Husack

e ad to go

Honnicka

e ad to go

Cauchescu

e ad to go

jus like Mubarek

wi av to go

awhile agoh mi fren an mi woz taakin

soh mi seh to im :

wat a way di eart a run nowadays, man

it gettin aada by di day

fi know whey yu stan

cauz wen yu tink yu deh pun salid dry lan

wen yu cteck a stack yu fine yu ina quick-san

yu noh notice ow di lanscape a shiff

is like valcanoe unda it an notn cyaan stap it

cauz tings jusa bubble an a bwoil doun below

strata seperate an refole

an wen yu tink yu reach di mountain tap

is a bran-new platow yu goh buck-up

mi revalueshanary fren shake im ed an im sigh

dis woz im reply :

Kaydar

e ad to go

Zhivkov

e ad to go

Husack

e ad to go

Honnicka

e ad to go

Cauchescu

e ad to go

jus like Mubarek

wi av to go

well mi nevah did satisfy wid wat mi fren mek reply

an fi get a deepa meanin in di reaznin

mi seh to im :

well awrite

soh Garby gi di people dem glashnas

an it poze di Stalinist dem plenty prablem

soh Garby leggo peristrika pan dem

canfoundin bureacraetic strategems

but wi haffi face up to di cole facks;

im also open up pondora's bax

yes, people pawa jus a showa every awa

an eyrybady claim dem demacratic

but some a wolf an some a sheep

an dat is prablematic:

nah tings like dat yu woulda call dialectic ?

mi revalueshanary fren pauz awhile an im smile

den im look mi in mi eye an reply :

Kaydar

e ad to go

Zhivkov

e ad to go

Husack

e ad to go

Honnicka

e ad to go

Cauchescu

e ad to go

jus like Mubarek

wi av to go

well mi couldn elabarate

plus it waz gettin kinda late

soh in spite a mi lack af andastandin

bout di meanin a di changes in di eas

fi di wes nonediless

an aldow mi av mi rezavayshans

bout di cansiquenses an implicashans

espehsaally fi black libaraeshan

to bring di reaznin to a canclushan

ah ad woz to agree wid mi fren

hopein dat wen wi meet up wance agen

wi coulda av a more fulla canvahsaeshan

soh mi seh to im, yu know wat ?

im seh wat ? mi seh :

Kaydar

e ad to go

Zhivkov

e ad to go

Husack

e ad to go

Honnicka

e ad to go

Cauchescu

e ad to go

jus like Mubarek

soon gaan