Ira Grupper irag@iglou.com

LABOR PAEANS— March 2011

Ira Grupper
(published by FORsooth, newspaper of Louisville, Kentucky chapter of F.O.R. [Fellowship of Reconciliation] )

Egyptian Freedom Movement and the U.S. Justice Cause

Note: As this column is being put to bed (February 11) the glorious victory of the Egyptian people in ousting the U.S.-funded Hosni Mubarak is so so sweet. And, as much as I appreciate you dear readers having sent me information on U.S. current events—healthcare, right-wing attacks, recent FBI raids, the rewriting of U.S. civil rights history, the Scott sisters of Mississippi, and more—space prevents commentary.

Instead, I turn to an email from my dear friend and lifelong activist, Tom Moffett, and my response (both abridged due to space considerations). It appeared on the listserv of the Kentucky Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression, where both Tom and I are members of the Executive Board.

First, Tom’s commentary, sent: Friday, February 11, 2011

Subject: “Can We Bring Egypt's People's Revolution to the U.S.?

“After an hour or more of watching TV coverage of events in Egypt I had to take a break. That gave me time to think wild thoughts - and I will lose them if I don't pass them on.

“This is a very personal response, but since I don't have a Facebook page I started with the people I work with most closely. That began with the Kentucky Alliance Board, then the Alliance Education Committee, since we have been meeting so frequently, and finally a few close family members. I can already think of others I would like to add, but I will have to push on to the substance.

“This is already the third time in the last three hours that I have moved from TV to an e-mailed reaction, but the list of addressees has grown.

“My first reaction was to thank…for the last-minute notice of a rally this afternoon to support the protesters (still waiting in suspenseful hope). Her message included a statement from American Muslims which gave me a new insight into the possibility that this would be a break-through for the people of the whole Arab (Muslim) world toward freedom from oppressive dictatorships.

“In that first response I also added that for us in the Alliance, I thought it could be another call to action - another evidence (as Anne Braden always pointed out) of the power of the people - the possibilities when one person (Rosa Parks) or a few (students at a lunch counter) take action.

“The thought that sent me back to my e-mailing was a follow-up to that. I couldn't get over the feeling that this could be a turning point for the movement in this country. I'm thinking we need to be ready to play a role in pushing this country to truly stay on the side of the people. That's definitely not the side we have been on for a long time. The powers that be (and perhaps most of the public at large) are focused on what will happen to oil prices - on what will happen to the economy - on keeping our allies in the "War on Terrorism".

“In other words the odds are that the U.S. will quickly lose interest in the people of Egypt, now rejoicing in the victory of non-violence. It was won essentially by one or two thousand courageous people who went back into the streets after the equivalent of Bull Connor's dogs had been unleashed against them. Now, however, some of them are saying they know that it will be truly won only if they can keep the pressure on the army so that this is not merely another hand off down the line of successive oppressors.

“Here in America, the natural thing will be to stick with the keepers of stability - army people we have cooperated with for decades in order to keep the Middle East open for our multinational corporations to rake in the profits.

“Even our president can not possibly resist this centuries old regression from the tea party for liberty and freedom in Boston harbor to the tea party of today with its cries of "Take Back America" (for the WASPS and the corporations).

“But, if facebook and a few courageous young people have done again what we have seen all over the world since Ghandi in India, who's to say that we won't see an equally powerful takeover by the people - the young people - of America - even the young people of the Kentucky Alliance?

“Perhaps we could start with our African American History Month Forum. We set out with a topic something like: "Black Political Power Under Obama: How de we get results?" Maybe we could add two panelists with insights into the makings of people power in Egypt. I'm thinking one from the perspective of an Arab and one from the perspective of the internet or Facebook communications.

“We had already been moving in the direction of Rainbow rather than merely Black Power. We could go to People Power - Youth Power - United Power…”

And, now, my response to Tom:

Tom,

Your email raises a number of interesting points:

“(Egyptian regime change) could be another call to action - another evidence (as Anne Braden always pointed out) of the power of the people - the possibilities when one person (Rosa Parks) or a few (students at a lunch counter) take action.” You are right about Anne, of course, but we both know that Anne was an organizer, not just a mobilizer. Rosa Parks did not take individual action. She was steeled in the progressive movement, having attended workshops at the Highlander Center in TN, and thru her work with A.D. Nixon of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters.

The “few (students at a lunch counter)” in 1960 had planned their protest in Greensboro NC. It was not spontaneous. A few months later, in Nashville TN,, the Nashville Student Movement came onto the scene. Diane Nash, and the other students, had carefully planned strategy and tactics. As students were arrested in the first wave of the sit-in, a second wave would take their place. This was a multi-faceted strategy involving a confrontation with Mayor Ben West (he responded surprisingly honestly, objectively confronting his own racial stereotyping).

In Cairo, the students and young people who tenaciously held on are to be congratulated. But it was the labor union movement that planned much of the strategy. I saw some of this when seven of us from Louisville were in Tahrir Square, in Cairo, in December 2009. There were, indeed, spontaneous actions. But there was also the collective action of, for example, the Egyptian Journalists Union.

Tuesday night, in my…university class, we briefly discussed Egypt. I had placed on Blackboard an article that estimated Mubarak’s worth @ $70 billion, in a country where so many earn $2 per day. The students, of course, knew little more about Egypt than the snippets they get on the news, although, in fairness, there has been good video coverage of Tahrir Square.

I asked why, if even the U.S. media now says Mubarak is a ruthless dictator—why have we given Egypt better than $1.5 billion per year? A couple of responses were sort of good, most did not know. We have a lot of educating to do.

You write: “I couldn't get over the feeling that this could be a turning point for the movement in this country.” In Egypt, we must applaud this monumental victory, the forced abdication of ex-president Mubarak. But let us not forget that the same military that was under Mubarak’s control, and, possibly, his hand-appointed successor as well, are now in charge. I rejoice in this victory, Tom, but it is only a first step. Let us learn from the Egyptian people. Let us build a movement.

Contact Ira Grupper: irag@iglou.com