What is amazing to me is how the media attention has such a limited attention span. The extent of which I didn't really notice until I began looking back in my Twitter feed at links that were being posted showing all of the unrest still going on in Egypt. Naively I guess I thought that everything was beginning to work itself out. They had appointed a Prime Minister, I had watched videos of him being ushered in on a wave of applause, with him promising that things will change. But for the past days I have noticed that there are still videos of protesters clashing with the army and the army having a very difficult time maintaining the necessary amount of control of the state.
I also saw this video that was posted by Arabzy who I follow on Twitter, click CC for English subtitles. But It is a boy retelling his story of capture and torture by "security" forces. Now he was held for 22 days and I don't know when the video was shot but it was uploaded today. And I think it adds perspective on the events that are still unfolding in Egypt. I think it is important to take into account that just because the media is no longer focused on the issue, doesn't mean it's no longer worth paying attention to.
It is truly a sad reality that the media has so quickly shifted its attention away from Egypt. I must admit that I too am guilty in some ways of not looking beyond the commercial news into the Egyptian conflict as much as I should. With the situation in Libya advancing so quickly it is true that that requires our attention, but just because Mubarak is out does not mean the Egyptian's fight is over.
ReplyDeleteI have kept in contact with some of my Egyptian friends from the AUC and they have said on the surface things are calming down. This video, which is horrifically sad, shows that the the secret security forces are still torturing and capturing people, but perhaps it is less in the public eye and available to people on the streets. I worry for that.
It seems in the few months after a revolution, the new government will try to keep the people happy because the momentum, memory and sentiments of the revolution are still fresh. It will be telling in September when elections take place to see what real changes are made.