[governance] From Free Tunisia

David Goldstein goldstein_david at yahoo.com.au
Thu Jan 20 19:36:13 EST 2011 

I'll take Robert Fisk any day. One of the most knowledgeable writers on the 
Middle East. If you read through the archive of what Fisk has written you will 
see he has written many times on Tunisia and every other country in the Middle 
East.



________________________________
From: "rafik.dammak at gmail.com" <rafik.dammak at gmail.com>
To: governance at lists.cpsr.org; David Goldstein <goldstein_david at yahoo.com.au>
Sent: Fri, 21 January, 2011 11:15:14 AM
Subject: Re: [governance] From Free Tunisia

Hi David,

Robert Fisk didn't react about Tunisia uprising for 4 weeks and only wrote 
articles at the end, he failed miserably to understand what was happening. I 
advise you to read the articles of Brian Whitaker who followed closely the 
events and even predicted the fall of regime.
Btw it is up to tunisians now,

Rafik
BlackBerry from DOCOMO
________________________________

From:  David Goldstein <goldstein_david at yahoo.com.au> 
Sender:  governance-request at lists.cpsr.org 
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2011 14:56:53 -0800 (PST)
To: <governance at lists.cpsr.org>
ReplyTo:  governance at lists.cpsr.org,David Goldstein 
<goldstein_david at yahoo.com.au> 

Subject: Re: [governance] From Free Tunisia

Tunisia is not free, they will just be ruled by different despots supported by 
the west as Robert Fisk outlined in the Independent a week or so ago.

Incremental changes maybe, significant change - you're dreaming...

David





________________________________
From: Charity Gamboa <charityg at diplomacy.edu>
To: governance at lists.cpsr.org; Khaled KOUBAA <khaled.koubaa at gmail.com>
Sent: Fri, 21 January, 2011 5:18:49 AM
Subject: Re: [governance] From Free Tunisia


Hi Khaled,
 
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this. When I was a kid, I have 
experienced the terror brought about by a dictator toppled by the will and power 
of its people. I have been in 3 revolutions in my lifetime in the Philippines 
and I would always tell my students here in the US how important freedom is 
until you do not have it anymore. During those times, we did not have the 
Internet to help us with our fight against social injustice. I wonder sometimes 
what it would have been like if the Internet was around and we were able to 
speak freely without being condemned. People in other provinces were not even 
aware of what was going on in Manila because TV shows were censored. We had no 
medium to speak but Filipinos were able to go out in the streets and prove that 
freedom cannot be suppressed even by violent means. That was 25 years ago. But 
more than 300 years of Spanish colonialization and Spanish oppression, the 
Philippines learned, too, that  "the pen is mightier than the sword" - or 
perhaps, if another dictator comes along, we can say that the "Internet is 
mightier than an uzi." On the other hand, people in their ivory towers also get 
"smarter" each day and I am very much aware that they will also use the Internet 
to suppress the very freedom we fought for. 

 
Regards,
Charity
 
 
On Thu, Jan 20, 2011 at 6:48 AM, Khaled KOUBAA <khaled.koubaa at gmail.com> wrote:

All,
>For those who don't know Tunisia : Tunisia is a Small country, great nation. 
>First Arab country that abolished slavery in 1848. First Arab country to 
>establish a constitution in 1861. First Arab country to abolish polygamy in 
>1956. First Arab country to legalize abortion in 1973. Tunisia is the first Arab 
>country to kick out its dictator and this without the help of any foreign 
>nation!
>Today Tunisia has reached a critical and important point in its history after 
>succeeding in its revolution. President Ben Ali has left the country, and 
>government has collapsed leaving the country in an unpredictable situation.
>A new “Coalition Government” has been announced bringing old dissidents and 
>Human Rights activists in team with a main focus of preparing a democratic 
>transition.
>Friday January 14th 2011, ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeLT2PEmnDI ) I have 
>been inside the huge protestants in front of the ministry of Interior and I 
>witnessed brave people asking clearly their dictator to leave.
>Since then Tunisian retrieved their freedom lost many years and began 
>interesting politics.
>Young people went on the street asking for more n and more social change without 
>being politically coached.
>I have witnessed, and have been part, of the strength of the "real" Tunisian 
>Internet community to use Internet and Web 2.0 ( Blogs, Video, Facebook, 
>Twitter, … ) to support the revolution and everyday’s riots showing to the world 
>what’s happening due to a lack of official local media coverage.
>My life has been different during these days : my house is in a hot spot; near 
>El Aouina Army Casern and just between the Airport and the US Embassy. So I took 
>my wife to her father house, and I stayed alone during 5 days. Everything was 
>different each day; night riots with fire shooting between protestants and 
>police during the first 2 days , near helicopter surveillance between army and 
>snipers belonging to Ben Ali Presidential militia during the last 3days.
>I have never felt the importance of the security before that. It was the same 
>feeling that had the Tunisian people which led them to go out and organize 
>“Population committees” in each city to protect each city from Ben Ali militia.
>Tunisian Internet community is free today and will show to the world what we are 
>capable to accomplish.
>
>Vive Internet and thank you Vint and Internet pioneers to gave us this wonderful 
>tool that helped our revolution.
>
>From the free Tunisia
>
>Khaled Koubaa
>____________________________________________________________
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