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In the first of our Talking Point events on the news of the day, our panel – hosted by Hamish McDonald, and comprising Dr Sally Totman, Dr Larry Stillman and Professor Fethi Mansouri – discuss the political upheaval in Egypt and what its implications will be for Egypt, North Africa and the world.
Our experts consider the reaction of Egypt’s regional neighbours, many of whom have taken to the streets against their own leaders, as well as the West.
Has the global community reacted appropriately, or merely moved to shore up its own interests? What role did social networking tools play in the Egyptian revolution, and what are the limits of the empowerment they facilitate? And what are the differences between democratic processes and democratic outcomes?
Tip: In your comment, you can link to a particular point in the video like this: 0m30s for the 30th second, or 4m18s for 4 minutes and 18 seconds in.
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thanks to the wheeler centre for always having topics of interest , great initiative and continued success to you all and the hard working staff!
pamela
26 February at 11:22AM
The riots in Greece also started a social movement vai social networking to ged rid of corrupt governments and demonstrated the savvy and sophisticated manner that the middle class has had enough.
Shame the political parties and the ethnic press here also supported Greece's then prime minister Karamanli when he visited Melbourne and shortly after the riots took place.
Revolutions are hot right now!
mel
26 February at 02:24PM
Mansouri mentions at 18m30s that the solution to the Egyptian crisis is to open up their economy. But the obvious problem with this argument is that it was under Mubarak that the country became a predominantly free market economy. To place the blame on the corruption of particular elite families misses the crucial point. In America, the world champion of the free market, we are seeing the exact same social divisions developing: there the top 1% has taken all the profits of the nation's supposed economic gains. The problem in Egypt is not of corrupt individuals opposed to the true realization of the free market; it's of the space for corruption that the free market itself maintains.
Brad N
26 February at 07:21PM