As we have traveled, we have been amazed at how well-informed, interested, and down-right opinionated many international citizens are about American politics. Honestly, we have never really followed politics very closely for a number of reasons: one, we know several that do and they often give us a pretty good set of headlines to follow; and two, we are often too involved with people and addressing their own change issues to spend too much time worrying about what is or might happen in the larger political realm.
We have since moved to Cairo, which is in the midst of their own political transformation--trying to keep up with what is or isn't happening here is a real challenge. Meanwhile, apparently, many Egyptians have also been distracted away from what is happening in America, according to an interesting article on CNN.com today. Click here to read this article.
The article has several interesting statements, but what is ironic is that the interest in the new political process and work of the newly elected parliament seems to be becoming as distant from the ordinary citizen of Cairo as we are to America. Occasionally, we will hear someone speak of what is or isn't happening, but more than anything, we hear requests for prayers for divine intervention and work in whatever is happening. Many Egyptians that we speak to want this all to end and get back to the light-hearted, fun-loving, and welcoming Egypt that seems now to be a distant memory in the light of the chaos, need, and uncertainty that is the backdrop of trying to continue "business as usual".
There are many active voices--the problem is that there is so many active voices that it becomes like white noise, static. Everyone has an idea and a cause, and many are good and with noble intent--but the ones offering these are not the ones that have been elected. So while everyone not elected seems to be offering plans of action, there isn't real certainty of any action by the elected. Almost unanimously, no one wants the military to continue to rule, and though there is a newly announced process and dates for the presidential election, there doesn't yet seem to be consensus leading candidates or any compelling visions encouraging the populace.
And so, Egypt continues to wait, and apparently their own political waiting has led them to lose interest in America's political process.
We have since moved to Cairo, which is in the midst of their own political transformation--trying to keep up with what is or isn't happening here is a real challenge. Meanwhile, apparently, many Egyptians have also been distracted away from what is happening in America, according to an interesting article on CNN.com today. Click here to read this article.
The article has several interesting statements, but what is ironic is that the interest in the new political process and work of the newly elected parliament seems to be becoming as distant from the ordinary citizen of Cairo as we are to America. Occasionally, we will hear someone speak of what is or isn't happening, but more than anything, we hear requests for prayers for divine intervention and work in whatever is happening. Many Egyptians that we speak to want this all to end and get back to the light-hearted, fun-loving, and welcoming Egypt that seems now to be a distant memory in the light of the chaos, need, and uncertainty that is the backdrop of trying to continue "business as usual".
There are many active voices--the problem is that there is so many active voices that it becomes like white noise, static. Everyone has an idea and a cause, and many are good and with noble intent--but the ones offering these are not the ones that have been elected. So while everyone not elected seems to be offering plans of action, there isn't real certainty of any action by the elected. Almost unanimously, no one wants the military to continue to rule, and though there is a newly announced process and dates for the presidential election, there doesn't yet seem to be consensus leading candidates or any compelling visions encouraging the populace.
And so, Egypt continues to wait, and apparently their own political waiting has led them to lose interest in America's political process.
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