Egypt: Joy In the Struggle: Victory In Our Lifetime

I have been ashamed of the feminists who for various reasons did not stand with the Egyptian people in their struggle for self governance; who did not look at our own government critically but instead said Mubarak is our friend, Israel's friend.  Therefore presumably we should assist Mubarak in repressing the people.  Oh they wrung their hands and said they did not like his torture and fascism but Mubarak was better than the Brotherhood.  Their focus was not on our morality but on scare tactics; they said not a word about US duty to support democracy and act to prevent the Brotherhood from similarly oppressing the people.
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Last time, in Iran, I heard the same thing from alleged  feminists. P&L actually blogged that there were no women protesters in Iran, that it was a CIA led revolt of men.  That is when I knew many who call themselves feminists on line are actually gay or "straight"  men who are pretending to be women without a female consciousness.  That is, their male consciousness cannot see women, or recognize the issues relevant to women's liberation, even when women are right in front of them.  They only SEE men. 

Whatever, I am learning how to operate as a feminist when there are very few feminists actually alive.  Feminists are people whose first allegiance is not to individual women or some male ideology, but to the liberation of women as a caste through systemic change and institutional change, the method being programs and political action.   And we do not make excuses for the lack of said programs and actions because we are democrat or republican, or because the politician is a male or female.

Sometimes that means seeing the broader picture.  Some actions are more important to gender caste liberation than the concerns of individual women.  To me, that means the right to information about what the elites are doing to rule us and prey on us, as with Wikileaks is more important than women who are using the accusation of rape to assist the CIA in it efforts to get their hands on Assange.

 Sometimes, as in Egypt, the revolutions of a whole people must be supported and our influence used to determine a democratic outcome that includes women.   Sometimes that outcome is not assured because our own government will not act to fight for a democratic outcome. But that does not mean we feminists should opt for fascism against the working class.

One of the big lies on the left to discourage intervention by the US is that women are better treated by fascists like Saddam Hussein and Mubarak.  First, that is not true.  But if it is true,  if things are worse for women after a people's revolution,  then US politicians have failed.  

That is a real danger because our elite prefer the rule of elites to democracy and accountability to voters.   They do not, of their own accord, act to encourage more participation and institutional sensitivity to people's demands.

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Right now the US can bring into Egypt, through its close ties and its economic support of the army; the Institute for Democracy and other organizations that can organize secularism and women's rights.  The Voice of America should open radio and TV stations in Egypt and teach constitutional reform, the bill of rights, checks and balances.  The US should begin clearing slums, building houses with plumbing and sanitation systems, demanding 30% of the Egyptian revenue be set aside for such  purposes.

But how can we with appointments like James Clapper, Director of National Intelligence, who is ignorant about the Brotherhood; who testified today that the Brotherhood is a secular organization.  Obama's appointments have said they can live with the Taliban in Afghanistan and the Brotherhood in Egypt which is another indicator that we have a sexist administration running the United States of America.  This is another red flag about this immature administration filled with corporate appointments who are unqualified to lead the world through this Aquarian change toward social justice. Obama sold himself as a community organizer but he does nothing to organize US teaching institutions to do community work in Egypt right now. And right NOW is the time to move.

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Now is the time for Obama to intervene using the resources we have to assist the Egyptians toward elections that are fair and free.  Much needs to be done.  We fund the army.  Now is the time to believe in our system, believe in secularism, believe in freedom and sell it to the Egyptian electoric. Now is not the time to be making pandering speeches to US voters in WI.  Obama needs to be in DC, organizing to go into Egypt with US institutions that can teach Egyptians how to organize a secular democracy.

***Bast mask Picture from Full Circle here

**Maat's Feather

Represents truth, justice, morality and balance. It was pharaoh's job to uphold Maat. When a pharaoh died, Maat was lost and the world was flung into chaos, only the coronation of a new pharaoh could restore Maat.

Isis

*Egyptian symbol of protection

See also:  Howling for Egypt