http://www.andrewheiss.com/blog/2010/02/28/queen-rania-at-auc/

[andrewheiss]

Queen Rania at AUC | Andrew Heiss.com
http://www.andrewheiss.com/blog/2010/02/28/queen-rania-at-auc/

[andrewheiss]

Originally posted by nancyheiss on 2010-02-28 16:52:12

Interesting. It is like when there was that trash clean-up project where
the police showed up and made everyone leave since they didn't have a
permit to gather. That definitely thwarted that bit of civic engagement.

Here Mubarak is so afraid of being ousted that he won't let civic
engagement happen. However, both Egypt and Jordan (and other countries)
feed off of foreign aid--so who is ruling the rulers? The vote of the
people or foreign governments?

In "Birds of Passage" Captain Simpson, Elias Batrakani's British
boss, says, "We're only here on a temporary basis. We shall leave the
day this country has been stabilized and reformed and is capable of
governing itself. Some plants are frail: they need staking if they're
to grow straight." But people can't become capable of something while
they are being spoon fed, thus the country never stabilized and "the
stake took root."

Unfortunately, that same stake is still here. Foreign powers are afraid
to let go and see what will happen--here, in Iraq, anywhere. It isn't
only the "local" governments that can't let go. It is the foreign
governments as well. Egypt has a lot of man-power--they could do a lot
of things if they could get organized and get to work...but why do that
when the government is willing to give you handouts to keep you
complacent.

Anyway...I wish I could have been there to hear her speak. Thanks for
writing it up!