RACHEL FARO

Sometime in the early '90's I was traveling traveling Heathrow and my flight was delayed overnight.  I can't remember if it was weather or mechanical problems but those of us who were transfering from other flights were given food coupons and a room at the Sheraton Heathrow.  One of the few fellow passengers I was thrown together with was a fellow from the north of England who was on his way to Libya to work as an oil worker.  The guy was more like a machine than a person.  He didn't seem to mind working out in the desert, far from his wife and children, for over six months at a time, as long as he was able to bring money back home.  His personality was as bleak as the desert itself -- no aspiration, no interests, just working.  But these oil workers are the ones who are currently caught in the chaos of Libya now.  Perhaps the British workers have all been rounded up and sent home, perhaps not.  Who knows what goes on out there in the endless desert?  But the workers from less empowered countries: Eastern Europe, mid-Africa -- they are still there now, with no idea how to get out and no information regarding a plan.

The ancient Romans believed in the concept of dictator:  in an emergency situation they elected or appointed a 'dictator' with total autocratic powers -- but only for a period of six months.  Julius Caesar was the first 'dictator for life' -- a telling example of what a charismatic individual with tremendous qualities of leadership can do.  The ancient Romans also understood how to create a limited, a checked-and-balanced monarchy:  their kings were elected 'for life', with an 'interruptem' for one year so that the senate could ponder and consult with the gods (birds in flight) as to whom was the best ruler.

Was their system better than ours?

Mubarak was a true dictator in the Roman sense of the word.  His position acquired in an emergency and yet overstayed and overstayed.  No Duvalier he, off to Switzerland and France to live with his stolen treasures.  These dictators belong to the earth from whence they came.  Mubarak understood that he was truly Egyptian.  "I will die on the soil of Egypt". 

Castro is similar:  living out the end of his life in Europe is unimaginable.  His spirit is inimitably Cuban.  These are not common criminals.  These are true dictators in the Roman sense of the word:  almost kings, but not quite.  Rulers, but not enlightened rulers.  There is no doubt in my mind that the stability that Mubarak provided (at the severe cost of human rights, a police state, really) actually made the current sanity and empowerment of the Egyptian people possible.

And what about those people:  this is an inspiration to us all.  Rather than the phony populism of the 'Tea Party", stealing the anger of the U.S. common people for the sake of corporate and war interest money, the Egyptian Revolution is humanist.  Despite the good intentions of Anderson Cooper the only network that is showing the people 'on the ground' with sound, not just images, is Al Jazeera English.  The interviews with school teachers, actors, women, teachers, workers, etc. are very telling.  There is a beautiful sharing of experience going on now on the streets of Cairo, Alexandria and Suez.  Just like the Haitian Revolution struck fear in every slave-based society, all the demons that run the world are afraid of this people-power now.

People need to remember that this military that is currently actually allowing the Revolution to happen, was led and created by Mubarak (although their current relationship with him is confusing.)  Without the cooperation of the military this Revolution could not have happened.

It must be painful for Mubarak to realize that he is so unappreciated.  I hope that he will take the high road, step down, encourage elections and thereby be a 'king', in the oldest sense of the word.  He has already taken the "Roman" road and has asked the Parliament to limit presidential terms from now on.  Just like Castro, these dictators have a love/hate relationship with their people.  They maintain their rule through a  combination of police state and charisma but it would have been better if he had cultivated a good successor, rather than the 'apres moi le deluge' approach.

Coming back to the Romans:  for one thousand years they understood the balance between rulers/dictators and 'democracy' and consensus of all.   It would be good if we could take heed and understand this.  Our yearning for a charismatic president is a yearning for an enlightened ruler, not someone holding on to power for so long that people are sick of him.

Even Cleopatra, the last Pharoah, had trouble with the people of Alexandria.  They've always been talkative, active and outspoken.  Being a great queen she almost always gave them what they wanted.  And just like Mubarak asks for now, she died on Egypt's soil (even though she was actually Greek).  And that was the beginning of the Roman Empire.

Evil is now going to move into the gap provided by this Revolution.  The world is dominated by evil forces.  But we should take heart at the fact that so many people could rise up and demonstrate their humanity.  The faces on the streets of Cairo and Alexandria are happy and awake.  Their words are articulate and honest.  Mubarak has been a good ruler, but just like Castro, it's like your old father, your old uncle.  You're simply sick of them after such a long time.

'Democracy' is a dangerous concept, not always so perfect.  It leads to elections of gangsters like Chavez.  But the sense of empowerment that people have by knowing that they have a vote, have a chance to make their own reality, matters.  All of these societies years for enlightenment:  I'll never forget hearing a young Afghani say after the Americans came in:  "We should have a government ruled by the intellectuals".  Well, Blackwater, Bush and Cheney are not exactly intellectuals.  But sooner or later I believe that something will take.  Collective thought matters.

p.s. February 1st was an amazing day in Egypt.  Millions of people gathered in love and camaraderie.  February 2nd, however, is when the forces of darkness returned, with so-called 'pro-Mubarak demonstrators' (really just the police in civilian clothing and workers forced to go or lose their jobs) hurling themselves at the peaceful demonstrators and the media with Molotov cocktails, guns, sticks, fists, on horse and camelback, while the military stood by.  Mubarak should be ashamed of himself.  He had a moment to demonstrate true greatness and turned out to be just another nasty dictator.

It seems incredible that the unspeakable disaster that fell upon Haiti, that killed more than 200,000 people, was only six months ago.  The U.S. military has already pulled out (no oil here I guess!), the NGOs are holding on to the aid money until there's "a plan", and yet the Haitian people continue to endure under terrible conditions.  It's interesting how the American media never broadcasts any music and yet the streets have been filled with rhythms and song.

Here's a poem that I wrote the day after the earthquake.

POEME POUT HAITI

There are days which feel as if they're turning on a dime.  I'm sure it felt that way for the two teams who played the World Cup today, with multiple millions watching, united in enthusiasm.

Last month one of our cats, Cookie, suddenly passed away.  And now Pucho, the lord of cats, is going slowly.  It's over two weeks since he was diagnosed with cancer.  It was recommended that we euthanize, I mean kill, him right away to 'save him from suffering', but he's had days and days to gradually process and come to terms with his passing.  He played with his girlfriend, he sat in the sun on the balcony, he ate a little, he drank a little.  And now he's past all that, no eating or drinking for three days now.  He sits in perfect composure and stillness, like a beautiful orange buddha, his head up, in stillness.  He's spending more and more time in a dark corner under the bed but he's not quite ready to leave us yet.

Many have written to us about their experiences with their pets and how they died.  Many have said that our attachment doesn't give them the space to move forward and that death is a process for them, just like birth, a gradual unwinding.  They've said "Talk to him.  He will tell you when he is ready to go."  My prayer is that he will simply slip away.