January 17, 2014

In the Tradition of Mandela, Not "Freedom Next Time"

Mary Lynn Cramer

NPR’s “On Point” with Tom Ashbrook (1/16/14) had a program focusing on the newly-Oscar-nominated “documentary” film “The Square.” Unfortunately, I only heard the concluding comment by the film director, Karim Amer, when Ashbrook asked him about America’s role in Egypt now.  He replied (in the 30 seconds left of the program) that the Pentagon and the dictatorial Egyptian military have always had a tight relationship and that would not change.  That was a pretty honest reply to a very big question, yet it ignores who the Pentagon represents, whose policies it carries out; and the fact that the entire US economy is dependent upon production and sale of military technology and related equipment, as well as the destructive breakup and ruin of any competing economies world-wide.  (This program will be available as archived beginning 1/17/14).

The very moving ‘trailer” (available at the program URL set out above) also ignores the years of US involvement in training, financing, and supplying those young “lap toppers” dedicated to the overthrow of Mubarak.  The director lays out the drama as originating spontaneously by youth from within Egypt, ignores the decades of labor organizing, massive strikes, and workers demonstrations, that the so-called “Tahrir square” movement fed off (co-opted); and pretty much ignores that history and its significance preceding the mobs in the square, and continuing to protest after the mobs retreated from the square.

This trailer also ends with the disruptions of close friendships among Egyptians of differing religious affiliations, and consequent sectarian violence (what a coincidence – same results in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria…. Yugoslavia…wherever US and NATO allies intervene to bring about democracy!  Guess they are just stupid to keep making the same “mistake.”)

Below is one of the more intelligent comments left online.*  So many others just reveal the ignorance and brainwashing otherwise intelligent people suffer when they rely on “main stream media,” and the censored US press.

*alsordi  What is it Americans do not understand? The USA and Israel have always supported and control the Egyptian military, and could care less for democracy for Egyptians.
 
I suppose “The Square” will do for the mystification of the “failed Egyptian Revolution,” what “Mandela” has done in erasing the importance of aborting a mass strike by miners all over South Africa when the deal was cut to keep all the apartheid property/wealth & political relationships in place, but change the face of the presidency in South Africa.  (Mandela’s false promises about redistributing property and wealth equal the propaganda spewed by Obama coming into office).  See  John Pilger’s  many Youtube videos on South Africa “after apartheid” as well as his book “Freedom Next Time; “ and the essential reading on the subject by  Dumisa Buhle Ntsebeza “Unfinished Business” (dismissed from the “truth and reconciliation committee” by Tutu for wanting to identify the leading apartheid officials in charge of directing and carrying out crimes. Important, as well as for his account of historical facts on the ground re infiltration and sabotage of ANC activities) vs. the myth the promoted by US and other Capitalist nations to whitewash the horrible conditions worsening in South Africa today. MLC

Unfinished Business: South Africa, Apartheid and Truth – Amazon.comwww.amazon.com/Unfinished-Business–South–Africa…/dp/1859845452‎Unfinished Business: South Africa, Apartheid and Truth [Terry Bell, Dumisa Buhle Ntsebeza, Dumisa Buhle Ntzebeza] on Amazon.com

Freedom Next Time: Resisting the Empire: John Pilger …www.amazon.com › … › Modern (16th-21st Centuries) › 21st Century‎Freedom Next Time: Resisting the Empire [JohnPilger] on Amazon.com. … and South Africa) that have undergone long and painful struggles for freedom, yet are.

Why No Reporters in Suez? » CounterPunch: Tells the Facts …www.counterpunch.org/cramer02112011.html‎ Feb 11, 2011 – by MARY LYNN CRAMER. Finally, the media are giving token recognition to the fact that what is happening in Tahrir Square Cairo has been.

The Face(book)less Revolution: A Decade of Strikes by Millions of …openmediaboston.org/…/facebookless-revolution-decade-strikes-millions...‎11 February 2011 – 12:48pm |mary lynn cramer … in Cairo, why should we think that labor is an important part of any movement for revolutionary change?

Conflicts of Economic Interests in Egypt by Mary Lynn Cramer,
“Which Side Are You on Boys? Which Side Are You On?”
CounterPunch Webzine, Friday, February 25th, 2011

Economic Revolution vs. Political Reform. The Clash of Classes in Egypt and the USA.  Mary Lynn Cramer. Axis of Logic Exclusive , Axis of Lgoic The Nobel Laureate and the Labor Lawyer Nobel Laureate and Egyptian Presidential Candidate, Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei, objected to the BBC reporter attributing recent events in Egypt to the “Youth Movement.” ElBaradei complained that calling the “revolt” a “youth movement” was a gross distortion of the truth, and did not in.

Revolution Without Facebook: 3000 Strikes by Egyptian Workers Mary Lynn Cramer , Open Media Boston  Last night (Thursday 2/10/11) I attended a large gathering of activists who came together in Arlington Center, Massachusetts, to listen to MIT Professor Emeritus Noam Chomsky and Institute for Policy Studies fellow Phyllis Bennis discuss how to reinvigorate and expand the Peace Movement. Both speakers emphasized the need for anti-war.

Mary Lynn Cramer, MA, MSW, LICSW has degrees in the history of economic thought and clinical social work , as well as over two decades of experience as a bilingual child and family psychotherapist. For the past five years, she has been deeply involved in “economic field research” among elderly women and men dependent upon social security, Medicare, and food stamps, living in subsidized housing projects. She can be reached at: mllynn2@yahoo.com

Mary Lynn Cramer, MA, MSW, LICSW has degrees in the history of economic thought and clinical social work , as well as over two decades of experience as a bilingual child and family psychotherapist. For the past five years, she has been deeply involved in “economic field research” among elderly women and men dependent upon social security, Medicare, and food stamps, living in subsidized housing projects. She can be reached at: mllynn2@yahoo.com