Indy News & Analysis on popular uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia

What is happening in Egypt and Tunisia is both inspiring and instructive for those of us who live in the US. It is inspiring in that is shows the power of social movements and political struggle from the ground up.

People in Egypt and Tunisia are taking great risk to challenge both the current power structures and to advocate for what kind of a future they want for themselves and their children.

These social uprisings are instructive in that this is a moment in which people in this country must come to terms with US policy in the Middle East. Is it common knowledge that the US has provided Egypt with $2 billion dollars in military aid every year since 1979 (making Egypt the 2^nd largest recipient of US aid behind Israel)? Do we know that the US government has been supporting the Mubarak regime in Egypt for decades, despite consistent human rights violations?

These kinds of basic questions or background information are not part of the reporting from most commercial news agencies in the US. In fact, these same media outlets often defend the dictatorship in Egypt and the US support for that dictatorship.

However, the amount of independent reporting from both Tunisia and Egypt has been amazing. Independent journalist Robert Fisk, who has been doing some of the best reporting from the Middle East for 30 years, is reporting daily from the streets of Cairo. His most recent article is entitled Egypt: Death throes of a Dictatorship.

Democracy Now! has been providing sound analysis for several days now and also has a reporter on the ground in Cairo, with an excellent report entitled The Rebellion Grows Stronger. Al Jazeera has also been provided excellent up to the minute coverage of the uprising in Egypt, despite the efforts of the Egyptian government to shut them down. The Institute for Public Accuracy has also compiled a list of good online resources, particularly Facebook and twitter feeds.

Al Jazeera reports that the Egyptians are calling for a million people to come to Cairo to protest the government regime. These kinds of actions are infectious and are providing inspiration to people around the world.

GVSU Student Organized Solidarity Action this Wednesday!

Locally, students at GVSU have organized a solidarity action at the Allendale campus on Wednesday, February 2^nd from 10am – 2pm. The students write, “A free Egypt is the key to justice throughout the Arab world. Come join students and stand in solidarity with Egypt and other countries in political unrest to raise awareness about the international and historical significance of the struggles of the Arab world.”

For some good analysis of US Policy and the current uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia watch this interview with Phyllis Bennis on The Real News Network.