The Rebellion for Freedom from Freedom

by Dillon Freed
February 9, 2011

http://www.weeklyblitz.net/1269/the-rebellion-for-freedom-from-freedom

With the advent of satellite television and the Internet it is easy for many Egyptians (and others) to see how even average blokes in the West today live better than millionaires of the 1980s. This can plainly cause some angst and jealousy when eighty-five percent of the population watching in the Land of the Pharaohs live at the level of streets rats. They can see, via just one episode of a reality TV show, that our healthcare nonchalantly treats maladies they are killed by, they can see that our water is safe as people drink from the tap – think of that. They can see that our freedom is greater as we voice opinions about our presidents and politicians without fear of bullets or kidnappings. They can see our toilets flush and our waste and its smells disappear. And they can see that our overall affluence is superior as we entertain ourselves with endless options of music and movies as well as the web and video games, all of which fits into our pockets. What dictator, who oppresses his people and treats them as children and hordes their money, could survive that? So on one count at least, let us say the North Korean leadership is quite brilliant for making itself a state of solitary confinement - you cannot want what you do not know exists.

But these revolts in Egypt are not thoroughly virtuous, though many think they are. 'Democracy' has become a word of a spell-inducing power - merely utter it and we in the West will gloss over and congratulate you for your newfound enlightenment. You see, we have a bad habit in the West of assuming democracy and freedom are synonyms – they are not. That Egyptians say they want democracy does not really mean a damn thing – what really matters is whether they know what true liberty entails – viz. religious freedom, vocal freedom, and political freedom.

Of course, without a qualm in me, it is inspirational to see fighter jets roar over and shake the buildings and the streets and the people scoff at them; it is inspirational to watch the people defy the 4 pm (4pm?!) curfew and take death if death is sent after them by Mubarak. To witness, in Muslim lands, people leaking their own plasma to topple a dictator, is likewise inspirational. But these same nobles souls (and this is the chief reason why I am so tepid on these revolts) can be seen on live-streamed video yelling, as if on divine fire, "Allahu Akbar!." Sure, God is great, but in this case, some Thomas Paine and J.S. Mill would be better. Again, this worries me greatly - and it should you too - what type of rebellion is this? Religious or secular? Dedicated to freedom for some, or freedom for all? It must be the latter in both cases for there is no such thing as a moderate Islamic state that can or should be supported.

Most disturbing are the more and more frequent reports that the Muslim Brotherhood, officially an illegal party in Egypt but known to have a large and organized following, are coming out of their anthills. And what stands out to me is that none of the protestors I have seen have screamed their disapproval, or held up a sign protesting, this clique of thugs. These thugs, like Tammany Hall and Hezbollah, sickeningly endear people to themsevles via educational and medical service blackmail.

That small twinge of ill feeling about this Muslim Brotherhood you have in your stomach - let that feeling take you over because it is the right feeling and is why we in the West must embrace this rebellion very cautiously, if at all.

As I write this in fact, two more things have occurred: First, Hamas, an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, is reported to be offering a helping hand to the Brethren to create chaos and help fill the void with a religious government as well as an Islamic system of government as soon as possible. Terrific. And, secondly, we find that the newfound leader of the revolters, a soi-distant moderate named Mohamed ElBaradei, is willing to place halos over demons as he speakas glowingly of the Brotherhood.

He tells the world that the Brotherhood is dedicated to freedom of speech, press and, without doubt you will have guessed, religion. I bet. Tell that to the Copts, the women, and the (mostly) noble, political dissidents like Saad Eddin Ibrahim, who, by the way, is largely responsible for, and knew the dangers of, promoting this lust for democracy in Egypt. ElBaradei should do the world a favor and get real: admit that the sole freedom the Muslim Brotherhood would bequeath to the people is freedom from freedom.

Few things on this side of hell should scare you, as a citizen of the world, more than the thought of these Islamic Brethren taking power. Such a powergrab would be a nightmare for international relations of Tolkien proportions. Religious terrorist factions like Al Qaeda as well as various other groups of violence would have a new safe haven, cordoned from inspection - U.N. and otherwise. What is more: pro-Western souls in the country would be become merely that – souls without bodies.

We are told by the intelligentsia to "hope" these revolts turn out like Turkey, Lebanon or Indonesia, that is, moderate, pluralistic democracies (as if such states are something one should wish for, or that the relative calm said states now exhibit are going to last long term). We are also told to hope that the revolts do not turn out like 1932 Germany which elected Hitler, the 1979 revolt which put Khomeini in power in Iran, or 2006 Palestine which elected the group Hamas. All this talk of hope can make one concerned about national security in the U.S. "hope" the CIA is working overtime in Cairo.

When your last great mark upon this earth and in the world's collective mind are the pyramids, any time is probably an apt time for a rebellion, but it must be a rebellion not merely to let off steam at a thuggish despot, but for authentic, secular freedom. I will support that with my every atom. However, yelling, "Allahu Akbar" in the streets of a so-called freedom-loving, democratic movement is not becoming of the revolters. In fact, it makes those of us in the West, who really, really are longing to support you, not take you seriously at all.

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