Most revolutions have historically had a theoretical background, some had propaganda, some were massive, some were failed, and many had mixed results. However, the Egyptian revolution stands alone in having a mythology. The mythology of the Egyptian revolution was concocted by a combination of computer savvy but logically challenged tweens, socialists living beyond their expiry date, religious zealots, an adolescent media, and a population that is fixated on easy solutions regardless of its veracity.
Myth #1: All that Mubarak did was bad, and all that was bad was done by Mubarak
The prime example here is daylight saving. For some reason we had to cancel daylight saving because ... apparently ... Mubarak invented it, and all advanced countries have abandoned its use. Of course this is not true, all countries with territory above 30N or below 30S employ daylight saving. Statistics show it saves between 1 and 10% of electricity used in summer even in hot climates. But facts are irrelevant, right after Jan25 the elite in Egypt set up an argument where all that is wrong in Egypt was due to Mubarak, and where everything that Mubarak did was wrong. This set the stage for a situation where we are revisiting all the laws that protect the rights of women and little girls (FGM anyone?) to the bitter protest of the very same elite. There's no denying that Mubarak inflated the property sector in Egypt and made the economy very dependent on tourism, and I have no qualms admitting a severe drop in education, health services, and heavy industries. But if we are gonna deny a substantial rise in self-reliance in wheat production, an explosive growth in the telecomm area (leading to his downfall), and substantial improvements to infrastructure; then we insist that facts are only for reactionaries. I am not arguing that it was not time for him to go, but oversimplification will drive us into the wall. Speaking of which ...
Myth#2: Mubarak has gazillions of dollars abroad and we'll all be fu#@ing rich
No denying he has a lot of money stashed somewhere. But the facts are the money is nothing near the 100 billion dollar mark the Egyptian media has set. Nor is it close to the ten billion mark set by British tabloids (right next to the baby fathered by a winged monkey from the star alpha-centauri). It is probably close to $1Billion. What is very frustrating is not the figure, it is the insistence of many people, laymen and politicians alike, that this money is gonna solve all of Egypt's problems. This money does not cover bread subsidies for a year. What is evil, is the role the media has played in marketing this myth, which media you say?
Myth#3: Maspero is responsible for everything from the Hyksos to Khaled Saiid
Again no denying Egyptian public television played a destructive (albeit childish) role right after Jan25. However, Maspero individually and sometimes collectively decided to shift into covering reality a few days before Mubarak was deposed. It is inconceivable to see such a decision as anything short of heroic as the building was besieged, reporters were physically hurt in Tahrir, and the outcome of the revolution was still uncertain. Right after Feb11 calls to "cleanse" Maspero started reverberating. What this was translated into was systematically stripping ERTU of all its money-making mechanism, driving away all its talent (because they were "folool") and making it much much worse than it was both in a commercial and a professional sense. All the talent driven away fueled new media outlets with questionable funding sources. The role that such media outlets play, their ethics and their responsibility are certainly more questionable than Maspero ever had the potential to be.
Myth #4: Peaceful protest includes "self-defense" by firebombs
If you've watched ONTV coverage of Mohammed-Mahmoud I & II or of the Israeli embassy you would understand the following. How can anyone with any sense in their mind cover a street riot where hundreds of teenagers and young adults are throwing firebombs at government buildings, private property, and diplomatic missions (regardless of the country of origin); and call it a peaceful protest. The common refrain is that buildings are less important than people's lives. True, but pushing these people, who have no plan, logic, or demands to peacefully protest by bombing and shooting buildings is being party to each and every death that happens. I blame everyone who "supports the revolution" for not helping to educate young people on what peaceful protest really is. There is a legitimate argument on whether to react to authorities in civil disobedience by cooperating with arrest or by going limp. However, the argument that peaceful civil disobedience be defended by shotguns when authorities try to make arrests is unique to Egypt.
Myth#5: Egypt is a rich country
It is not. We are overpopulated. We live in a desert. We don't have enough oil to cover our needs. We have no economically viable mineral resources. We decided to implode the tourist industry by electing Salafists for parliament. We don't have any quality grazing lands. The Suez canal brings in about $2Billion, less than energy subsidies. State lands sold "underprice" to investors would not sell at any higher price. Our only advantage was relatively good stable and cheap labor, as well as security and political stability. Gone!
Myth#6: The MB is a Mubarak-made scarecrow
Apparently, defunct socialists and denialist liberals instituted the belief after Feb11 that Islamists have a very minor effect on the street. And that even then, they are part of the democratic scene and have no intentions of instituting a theocratic system. Now in mid-2012 the 70% Islamist parliament is banning plays, legalizing FGM, disbanding the constitutional court, and reshaping Al-Azhar. Thanks a bunch Farida El-Shobashy.
Myth#7: Islamic countries have never had a theocracy
This has MB stamped allover it. The Islamic world has never had a pope, true that. However, the caliph had executive power based on "decrees from God". The legislature was based entirely on religious clerics ruling by a law "given by God". The legislative branch was identical with religious jurisprudence (fiqh). The three branches of government are religious and it is not a theocracy? Because? Anyway, Morsi's Islamic sewage project is proof enough that the MB has no intentions on a theocracy. Also the fact that the FGM discussion in parliament is entirely 100% religious ... No it's not a theocracy ... Because the morshed said so! And he talks to God.
Myth#8: All situations where people died since Jan25 were orchestrated to keep SCAF in power
Alternative: Who did what depends on what the what is
If SCAF wants to remain in power, why didn't it turn the country into a veritable paradise? How come people attacking parliament are revolutionaries, and the second they start to burn a public library they are SCAF thugs? How is Port-Saiid not a horrible stampede precipitated by lack of public discipline, a terrified police force, and soccer fandom whose violence is only challenged by their shallowness. So Salafists at point A decide to go to point B, surround a church, and burn it down, then Christians at point B start attacking the Salafists, and both sides start killing each other. And SCAF did it ... because? Well because it didn't stop it, and the police is trying to teach us a lesson for January 28th. If SCAF interfered early, who would you directly accuse of doing the killing? Egypt is now a chaotic mix of righteous ignoramuses and we refuse to admit it.
Myth#9: All revolutions restricted, imprisoned, killed, or isolated previous regime
Alternative1: Revolutions don't go to the polls
Alternative2: We should quote Robbespiere
So our revolutionary elite was caught off-guard by the revolution. I understand. But please stop watching documentaries on the French revolution on Youtube and telling us what revolutions do and do not. It is true that the French revolution killed anyone who dared disagree with it. It also changed its definition of what it considered itself several times. It ended in a civil war, all of Europe actively at war with France, revolutionaries executing other revolutionaries, an economic meltdown, famine, and eventually a brutal dictatorship. The Bolshevik revolution imprisoned or executed any who publicly denounced it. It also erased the cultures of multiple countries, instituted a stagnant dictatorship, instituted the largest forced migration of people in the world, and eventually collapsed. Mao Zedong did not bother to let opponents of the revolution talk on the radio. He also instituted so many failed cultural and economic revolutions that ended in a famine that killed 40 million people. Khomeini summarily executed tens of thousands of his opponents to ensure the revolution was unimpeded. Iran now is of course a paradise of personal freedoms where women's rights are respected, and the government is at peace with all its neighbors. Just a note, the GDP per capita of Iranians has been below that of the days of the Shah ever since the revolution. At the end of the 90's it was a quarter of that under the Shah. On the other hand, communist parties in Russia and the entire Soviet bloc were not prohibited from politics for any length of time after the fall of the soviet union. In fact, in Poland, Czechoslovakia, and even Russia communist parties participated in the elections right after the revolutions. They lost, and they kept on working, not in jail, but in the public arena. Today two of these countries are in the EU and one is an economic megamonster. South Africa did not prosecute any segregationists, in fact segregationist parties are still active and still enter elections. South Africa has many problems, but it has certainly achieved the political and civil equality it set out to achieve. A little bit of irony, you know who wrote the constitution of France after the revolution? The parliament.
Myth#10: The Egyptian revolution has aims
It doesn't. The Egyptian revolution is an accident. It is a collection of the Tunisian effect, a large dissatisfied young middle class, and an aging regime. 3eish, 7oreyya, 3adala egtema3eyya are slogans not aims. The question "what do they want exactly" may be repeated but it is actually gaining legitimacy and if the youth who were the true seed of this revolution don't have an answer soon, then the revolution is over before it began. The MB is going to support you in any demand where you want to dismantle the state. But they are gonna rebuild it in their own image ... alone. So decide what you want instead of what you don't want and let the Egyptian people know.
Myth #1: All that Mubarak did was bad, and all that was bad was done by Mubarak
The prime example here is daylight saving. For some reason we had to cancel daylight saving because ... apparently ... Mubarak invented it, and all advanced countries have abandoned its use. Of course this is not true, all countries with territory above 30N or below 30S employ daylight saving. Statistics show it saves between 1 and 10% of electricity used in summer even in hot climates. But facts are irrelevant, right after Jan25 the elite in Egypt set up an argument where all that is wrong in Egypt was due to Mubarak, and where everything that Mubarak did was wrong. This set the stage for a situation where we are revisiting all the laws that protect the rights of women and little girls (FGM anyone?) to the bitter protest of the very same elite. There's no denying that Mubarak inflated the property sector in Egypt and made the economy very dependent on tourism, and I have no qualms admitting a severe drop in education, health services, and heavy industries. But if we are gonna deny a substantial rise in self-reliance in wheat production, an explosive growth in the telecomm area (leading to his downfall), and substantial improvements to infrastructure; then we insist that facts are only for reactionaries. I am not arguing that it was not time for him to go, but oversimplification will drive us into the wall. Speaking of which ...
Myth#2: Mubarak has gazillions of dollars abroad and we'll all be fu#@ing rich
No denying he has a lot of money stashed somewhere. But the facts are the money is nothing near the 100 billion dollar mark the Egyptian media has set. Nor is it close to the ten billion mark set by British tabloids (right next to the baby fathered by a winged monkey from the star alpha-centauri). It is probably close to $1Billion. What is very frustrating is not the figure, it is the insistence of many people, laymen and politicians alike, that this money is gonna solve all of Egypt's problems. This money does not cover bread subsidies for a year. What is evil, is the role the media has played in marketing this myth, which media you say?
Myth#3: Maspero is responsible for everything from the Hyksos to Khaled Saiid
Again no denying Egyptian public television played a destructive (albeit childish) role right after Jan25. However, Maspero individually and sometimes collectively decided to shift into covering reality a few days before Mubarak was deposed. It is inconceivable to see such a decision as anything short of heroic as the building was besieged, reporters were physically hurt in Tahrir, and the outcome of the revolution was still uncertain. Right after Feb11 calls to "cleanse" Maspero started reverberating. What this was translated into was systematically stripping ERTU of all its money-making mechanism, driving away all its talent (because they were "folool") and making it much much worse than it was both in a commercial and a professional sense. All the talent driven away fueled new media outlets with questionable funding sources. The role that such media outlets play, their ethics and their responsibility are certainly more questionable than Maspero ever had the potential to be.
Myth #4: Peaceful protest includes "self-defense" by firebombs
If you've watched ONTV coverage of Mohammed-Mahmoud I & II or of the Israeli embassy you would understand the following. How can anyone with any sense in their mind cover a street riot where hundreds of teenagers and young adults are throwing firebombs at government buildings, private property, and diplomatic missions (regardless of the country of origin); and call it a peaceful protest. The common refrain is that buildings are less important than people's lives. True, but pushing these people, who have no plan, logic, or demands to peacefully protest by bombing and shooting buildings is being party to each and every death that happens. I blame everyone who "supports the revolution" for not helping to educate young people on what peaceful protest really is. There is a legitimate argument on whether to react to authorities in civil disobedience by cooperating with arrest or by going limp. However, the argument that peaceful civil disobedience be defended by shotguns when authorities try to make arrests is unique to Egypt.
Myth#5: Egypt is a rich country
It is not. We are overpopulated. We live in a desert. We don't have enough oil to cover our needs. We have no economically viable mineral resources. We decided to implode the tourist industry by electing Salafists for parliament. We don't have any quality grazing lands. The Suez canal brings in about $2Billion, less than energy subsidies. State lands sold "underprice" to investors would not sell at any higher price. Our only advantage was relatively good stable and cheap labor, as well as security and political stability. Gone!
Myth#6: The MB is a Mubarak-made scarecrow
Apparently, defunct socialists and denialist liberals instituted the belief after Feb11 that Islamists have a very minor effect on the street. And that even then, they are part of the democratic scene and have no intentions of instituting a theocratic system. Now in mid-2012 the 70% Islamist parliament is banning plays, legalizing FGM, disbanding the constitutional court, and reshaping Al-Azhar. Thanks a bunch Farida El-Shobashy.
Myth#7: Islamic countries have never had a theocracy
This has MB stamped allover it. The Islamic world has never had a pope, true that. However, the caliph had executive power based on "decrees from God". The legislature was based entirely on religious clerics ruling by a law "given by God". The legislative branch was identical with religious jurisprudence (fiqh). The three branches of government are religious and it is not a theocracy? Because? Anyway, Morsi's Islamic sewage project is proof enough that the MB has no intentions on a theocracy. Also the fact that the FGM discussion in parliament is entirely 100% religious ... No it's not a theocracy ... Because the morshed said so! And he talks to God.
Myth#8: All situations where people died since Jan25 were orchestrated to keep SCAF in power
Alternative: Who did what depends on what the what is
If SCAF wants to remain in power, why didn't it turn the country into a veritable paradise? How come people attacking parliament are revolutionaries, and the second they start to burn a public library they are SCAF thugs? How is Port-Saiid not a horrible stampede precipitated by lack of public discipline, a terrified police force, and soccer fandom whose violence is only challenged by their shallowness. So Salafists at point A decide to go to point B, surround a church, and burn it down, then Christians at point B start attacking the Salafists, and both sides start killing each other. And SCAF did it ... because? Well because it didn't stop it, and the police is trying to teach us a lesson for January 28th. If SCAF interfered early, who would you directly accuse of doing the killing? Egypt is now a chaotic mix of righteous ignoramuses and we refuse to admit it.
Myth#9: All revolutions restricted, imprisoned, killed, or isolated previous regime
Alternative1: Revolutions don't go to the polls
Alternative2: We should quote Robbespiere
So our revolutionary elite was caught off-guard by the revolution. I understand. But please stop watching documentaries on the French revolution on Youtube and telling us what revolutions do and do not. It is true that the French revolution killed anyone who dared disagree with it. It also changed its definition of what it considered itself several times. It ended in a civil war, all of Europe actively at war with France, revolutionaries executing other revolutionaries, an economic meltdown, famine, and eventually a brutal dictatorship. The Bolshevik revolution imprisoned or executed any who publicly denounced it. It also erased the cultures of multiple countries, instituted a stagnant dictatorship, instituted the largest forced migration of people in the world, and eventually collapsed. Mao Zedong did not bother to let opponents of the revolution talk on the radio. He also instituted so many failed cultural and economic revolutions that ended in a famine that killed 40 million people. Khomeini summarily executed tens of thousands of his opponents to ensure the revolution was unimpeded. Iran now is of course a paradise of personal freedoms where women's rights are respected, and the government is at peace with all its neighbors. Just a note, the GDP per capita of Iranians has been below that of the days of the Shah ever since the revolution. At the end of the 90's it was a quarter of that under the Shah. On the other hand, communist parties in Russia and the entire Soviet bloc were not prohibited from politics for any length of time after the fall of the soviet union. In fact, in Poland, Czechoslovakia, and even Russia communist parties participated in the elections right after the revolutions. They lost, and they kept on working, not in jail, but in the public arena. Today two of these countries are in the EU and one is an economic megamonster. South Africa did not prosecute any segregationists, in fact segregationist parties are still active and still enter elections. South Africa has many problems, but it has certainly achieved the political and civil equality it set out to achieve. A little bit of irony, you know who wrote the constitution of France after the revolution? The parliament.
Myth#10: The Egyptian revolution has aims
It doesn't. The Egyptian revolution is an accident. It is a collection of the Tunisian effect, a large dissatisfied young middle class, and an aging regime. 3eish, 7oreyya, 3adala egtema3eyya are slogans not aims. The question "what do they want exactly" may be repeated but it is actually gaining legitimacy and if the youth who were the true seed of this revolution don't have an answer soon, then the revolution is over before it began. The MB is going to support you in any demand where you want to dismantle the state. But they are gonna rebuild it in their own image ... alone. So decide what you want instead of what you don't want and let the Egyptian people know.
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