Tuesday, December 11, 2012

A lesson from Midtown

My rosy view of the future of Egypt is becoming ever more smudged with the soot of evidence to the contrary.  What I was hoping was a revolution in the making, has more in common with a Saturday night I once spent in New York.  There in the middle of a Manhattan bar, was a mechanical bull.  Everyone took their turn, thinking this time things would be different, there would be a fleeting moment of glory, but ultimately everyone was ousted.  To compare Egyptian politics to the frivolities of a Manhattan weekend would be crude and incomplete.  Still, I can't help but be saddened by the cyclical nature of what is happening in the streets of Cairo.  Just a couple of years ago, Mubarak and his thugs were attempting to do what Morsi and his men are attempting now.  Consolidate and maintain power no matter the cost.

This just happened.  Is it really happening again?

Maybe they were all too busy getting drinks at the metaphorical bar to learn their lessons.  Maybe they're only interested at having a shot at being on top.  Whatever the motivation behind Egypt's current decision makers, I hope they wise up before they repeat all the mistakes of the last guy who got thrown off the bull.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

There Are No Palm Trees Here

It's been an odd morning, or maybe a better word for it would be disconcerting.  I woke up to news about a bus bombing in Tel Aviv, just another plot point in this awful week of violent conflict between Israel and Gaza.  That no one was killed and that supposedly a second bomb failed to explode is a nod to the divine at this point.  But let's not pretend any of this has heavenly sanction.

This morning I eventually pulled myself away from my computer (kudos to the Times of Israel blog for decent reporting) to get ready for my meetings.  With Tel Aviv on my mind, I stepped out into the Arlington air.  Cold, crisp, and a stark reminder that there are no palm trees here.  Which is to say I feel far away.  Starbucks has officially converted to their red holiday cups.  Friends on facebook still post about the demise of Hostess and their beloved Twinkies.  (If you loved them so much, the company probably wouldn't be bankrupt....)  And everyone seems ready for yet another Thanksgiving.

Yet, the holiday spirit escapes me.  Since I arrived to my first meeting early, I had the cursed opportunity to check Facebook.  Earlier I had posted a link to an article about the bus bombing.  I included a caption that summed up my feelings on the subject, "this makes me mad."  In response, I found a comment from someone I know from school.  He asked if the 139 civilian deaths in Gaza did not also make me mad, reminding me that many of the casualties were children.  I didn't respond because impassioned political debates on Facebook do more to annoy than to convince.  But if I did venture a retort, it would be that it all makes me mad.

I'm now being told by my friends in Israel that no one there wants a ceasefire.  Well I guess I'm out of the loop then.  Guess I'm stuck in my Arlington holiday bubble.  Because I do.  I want a ceasefire.

I wish I could be in the negotiating room, making a difference.  Humility aside, I think I would be good at it.  But I'm not there yet.  Instead, I'll get back to editing my resume and peddaling my wares.  But while everyone else talks of parades and sweet potatoes, I'll be here, wondering where all the palm trees are.




Tuesday, November 20, 2012

The Day After Tomorrow

Hey everyone,

Here's my latest.  This one is for the National Security Network's blog, Democracy Arsenal.

Enjoy!

http://www.democracyarsenal.org/2012/11/the-day-after-tomorrow.html

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Yesterday's Tomorrow

Hello readers!  The site for the Women in International Security Israel blog has changed.  It can now be found at blog.wiisisrael.com.

Check out my latest post at: http://blog.wiisisrael.com/2012/11/yesterdays-tomorrow/

Friday, October 19, 2012

The Middle East From Within


Check out my latest post on WIIS Israel!  The post is a recap of a presentation by renowned analyst Asher Susser.  Some really good points about the U.S. election and the Middle East and what to consider should either candidate win.  Enjoy!

http://www.wiisisrael.com/en/2012/10/the-middle-east-from-within/


Saturday, October 6, 2012

Yes we can, but should we?

I don't wear my watch in the shower.  I can, it is waterproof, but there is something about the idea of testing the limits of what my watch can do that deters me.

Three incidents of late have something in common with my watch policy.  First, after the shooting in Aurora, Colorado, gun ownership has risen significantly across America.  Second, an American citizen produced a blasphemous video the wreaked havoc across the Middle East.  Third, a judge ruled just yesterday that anti-Muslim posters must be allowed in the Washington metro and New York subway systems.

All three incidents involve the exercise of protected rights; specifically the right to bear arms and the right to free speech.  These rights are fundamental to the identity of our nation and their protection is of the uptmost importance.

At the same time, I look around and wonder if it might be time for a little self-policing.  Sure, we can do these things, but does it mean we should?  Can't we acknowledge our rights without forcing them upon others?  Gun ownership may or may not make us safer, with emphasis on the latter.  The free speech as of late has ranged from blatantly offensive to a signifcant security threat.

While we are lucky to live in the land of the free, home of the brave, it wouldn't hurt to get away to the timeshare of the wise every now and again.

Sunday, June 3, 2012

House of Cards

It's been an interesting morning.  I have just returned from a weekend workshop on security dilemmas affecting Israel.  Fascinating and provocative, I read this morning's paper with a bit more stimulation that usual.  I began the day with an article recapping the myriad complexities of crafting the 9/11 Memorial Museum.  Meditating on the horror of that day, my patriotism kicked in to overdrive.  This is when I came to my next article, one on China.


The article itself discussed the recent trend of self-immolation by Tibetan monks.  These monks and most Tibetans are living in areas strictly if not brutally repressed by the Chinese government.  China's treatment of Tibet has been textbook objectionable, and I fault many of my leaders for not pushing China on this issue.  The closest a U.S. President has come to showing Tibet and His Holiness the Dalai Lama the support they deserve was when George W. Bush met with the Dalai Lama in the White House.  Welcoming the Dalai Lama is considered taboo and easily angers China's government.  


By the time I had my oatmeal I was all worked up.  I posted a new facebook status: 


"they tell me china is coming. they tell me they own us. they tell me they are a competitor. but no amount of debt or interest paid can buy liberty. any country that blocks news stories from the internet and views human rights as a western annoyance is not worthy of my fear. me, i'm not scared of a house of cards."


After two minutes, I took the post down.


In the end, I felt my sentiments were unfair.  Don't get me wrong, Chinese policy when it comes to transparency, human rights, and anything having to do with Tibet is appalling and archaic.  They deserve proper condemnation.  And yet I did not want to, nor is it my place to chastise an entire nation of people, many of whom also suffer from Chinese policies.  Eventually I realized I don't know how to discuss China.  Do I refer to the regime in power?  To the positive potential of the people?  To Tibetans?


Are our hands as tied as we think they are?  America cannot push China on these issues, they hold too much sway.  Yet surely China must realize that living up to their international obligations, allowing their citizens to surf the internet freely, and allowing Tibetan Buddhism a proper place in the world is in their own best interest.  Closed societies who jail activist lawyers can become superpowers, it's true.  The Soviet Union gave us a run for our money.  But I ask you, where is the Soviet Union now?


If China's power is to be sustainable, I should no longer have to read about burning monks.  



Tuesday, January 24, 2012

I was wrong

One year ago I was sitting in Starbucks.  I had paid too much for my drink, the counter boasted well-groomed baristas offering me muffins with my coffee, and well-to-do youngsters lounged in brown leather loveseats.  You would think I was home.  Only the trademark green umbrellas outside did not shade me from the timid Northwestern sun, but rather from the bold, direct rays of the Cairo daylight.  It was January 25, 2011 and I was at Starbucks.

My friend and I sat outside discussing Egyptian politics, teaching, and our life plans as the cloudless sky turned from peach to rose.  We mentioned the protests that were taking place that day.  We were sure that while intriguing, the protests, as usual, would go nowhere.  People wouldn't show up, the Cairo public was shall we say disenchanted with politics at best, and those who did attend would surely be directed elsewhere by the police.  Too bad, Egypt could benefit from telling truth to power.  By nightfall however, when our friends told us that there was considerable attendance, a violent clash with police, and more protests planned for the coming weeks, I felt as I only do on occasion.  I was wrong.

I had dismissed the Egyptian revolution before it even began.  To be fair, no one could predict what unfolded over the next few weeks.  I was humbled to be sure, and I participated the best I could.  In December and early January, as we watched the events in Tunisia, pundits told us that mass anti-autocratic protests could never happen in Egypt.  The middle class was not strong enough, not educated enough, not politically motivated... turns out it doesn't matter how much you make or how often you vote, sometimes it is just time to say enough.

Today they are calling the Arab Spring the Arab Winter.  I hate this.  Every time someone mentions the Muslim Brotherhood and how many seats they won in the Egyptian parliament, my classmates turn and stare at me.  Would I have voted differently if I were an Egyptian?  Absolutely.  There are still unbelievable problems.  The military, welcomed with open arms on the battlefield of downtown Cairo, have now become the dictators they helped remove.  The economy, a major driving force behind the initial frustration, is in a dire state.  The Islamist trend may have a significant impact on regional and minority relations.  This is all true.

Yet today saw the opening session of Egypt's first democratically elected parliament in over sixty years.

I can't help but be sentimental when discussing Egypt's uprising.  Many argue that after all the effort, not much has changed.  Maybe this is the case, maybe not.  But as Americans who have watched their country go to war and spill too much blood artificially installing democracy abroad, it would be wise not to dismiss an organic movement of self-determination.  We like to describe the world as enemies and allies.  Every day I hear people dismiss Egypt as they move toward the enemy column.  Instead let's hope that Egypt is starting down a long road toward something better.

We can sit at Starbucks and criticize this, or we can give Egyptians the support and credit they deserve.