Egyptian People's Revolution and the Possibility of this happening in RP

Egypt is being rocked by daily street protests which already saw 1,000 injured and scores dead. We are really not certain as to the actual number of casualties, since the government has already shut down Internet services since, about four days ago.


Sketchy reports say Egyptians have massed up to demand the ouster of Mubarak. Mubarak has been Egypt's undisputed leader for more than 30 years. At 82 years old, the former military commander refuses to heed the people's call for him to go on exile. He has sacked his government and has vowed to listen to the pleas of his people. Yet, the people do not want to listen to him. 


They want drastic changes in their society. They are demanding not just the sacking of Mubarak, but a change in the Constitution as well. Does this mean that Egyptians want a change in the policy especially regarding Israel?


Israel, according to CNN, is worried. Egypt has been a reliable ally since 1981. It is the only Arab nation that recognizes the state-hood of Israel. If the government falls, and it falls into the wrong hands, as perceived by the United States and its ally, Israel, then, this will totally change the ball game in the Middle East.


Mohamed Elbaradei is being touted as the main opposition leader. Another one, an Imam, is also being positioned to replace Mubarak. The reason why all of these things are getting out-of-hand is the fact that the US does not know what to do with it.


Obviously, the US still supports Mubarak. The US probably do not trust Elbaradei entirely. The global hegemon is looking for a middle road, a solution, that would appease the peoples of Egypt and at the same time, maintain the stability of the region. 


What worries security analysts right now is the high possibility that what happened in Tunisia and in Egypt are just "preliminaries" in a possible series of destabilizing events in the economically weakened region.


Food has become a political issue in Egypt and the rest of the Arab world. The shortage of it and the decreasing purchasing power of their currencies have lead many to political action. People's lives have been disrupted and they are all blaming their governments for mishandling the situation. 


Here in the Philippines, peoples are starting to get agitated over a series of oil price hikes, rise of criminality and reports of rampant and unabated graft and corruption. Filipinos are beginning to feel the heat caused of inflation. Masses of Filipinos are also beginning to feel that the government is quite helpless in solving their most pressing economic problems. 


Yesterday, I felt robbed when I saw diesel prices at 41 pesos per liter. This is too much. I went to the supermarket and found most, if not all, goods there at staggering prices. I went to the wet market and found myself with just two bags of seafood at 1,000 pesos. And these are the cheap ones.


A kilo of good, quality rice costs 50 pesos. If you have a family of six to feed, a kilo would only go a day's distance. Imagine how families right now are coping with this very serious economic crisis in their lives. It would just be a matter of time before things start getting real serious.


By the way, I don't know if you know but casualties in the flooding in Visayas and Mindanao have now reached an alarming 80 people dead. What is government doing? Nothing.