Supporting the Egyptian Revolution

[John Tinmouth]

Supporting the Egyptian Revolution

Egyptian protesters have judged that a second phase of campaigning and activity on the streets is necessary to defend their revolution. South Tyneside Stop The War Coalition wishes to express its support for the Egyptian people in their struggle for greater equality and social justice, and true democracy, including the subordination of the military to a properly elected civilian government.

American international military and economic “aid” is not in general free, and the social cost to the broad society of the receiving nation, in terms of loss of national sovereignty, subservience to America’s imperial aims, and support for a free-market uncaring version of capitalism, is usually greater than the value of that aid to the elite elements of society to which it is often directed. This is as true for Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the many other societies to which it is directed, as it is for Egypt.

We hope that the Egyptians will express their support for the Occupy movement in America, the UK, and many other places around the world, where it is similarly being attacked by police repression and other sections of the powers that be. Backing is also required for workers struggles in America, Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, the UK, and other parts of the world where ordinary people are fighting, in the face of a global economic crisis caused by the haves, attempts by those same elites to foist the cost upon the many have-nots.

Ultimately, our different causes are all one. It is the battle of ordinary workers and their supporters against the political and economic oppression of the elites, the have-nots versus the rich and privileged, the poor against the bankers and their friends, the 99% in opposition to the reactionary and indifferent 1%. Egyptian, Tunisian, American, British, Italian, Philippino, Burmese, South African, Nigerian, Brazilian, Argentinian and other ordinary people around the world, although embracing widely differing cultures, have more in common with each other than we each have with our own elites, who are the true common enemy of us all. In the face of the global attacks of laissez-faire capitalism, workers of the world and their supporting movements must unite.
John Tinmouth
South Tyneside Stop The War Coalition
Wednesday, 23 November 2011