Fareed Zakaria, Nick Kristof & Mike Ghouse on Uprisings

Those who watch and read multiple sources of news and information are fairly similar and accurate in their assessment of the situation in the Middle East, except those who just watch American News media, forget about the Fox news watchers.

In the last few weeks, I found similarities in the takes of Nick Kristof, Fareed Zakaria and myself.  Between Kristof and me, four articles have a similar take and one has an identical paragraph that I wrote on 25^th and he wrote the same on 26^th.

NICK KRISTOFF & MIKE GHOUSE

Nick Kristoff wrote in “unfit for democracy”  

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/opinion/editorialsandoped/oped/columnists/nicholasdkristof/index.html?inline=nyt-per 

A crude stereotype lingers that some people — Arabs, Chinese and Africans — are incompatible with democracy.

Moreover, this line of thinking seems to me insulting to the unfree world.

Look, there’ll be bumps ahead. It took Americans six years after the Revolutionary War to elect a president, and we almost came apart at the seams again in the 1860s. When Eastern Europe became democratic after the 1989 revolutions, Poland and the Czech Republic adjusted well, but Romania and Albania endured chaos for years.

The record is that after some missteps, countries usually pull through. Education, wealth, international connections and civil society institutions help. And, on balance, Egypt, Libya and Bahrain are better positioned today for democracy than Mongolia or Indonesia seemed in the 1990s — and Mongolia and Indonesia today are successes.

In the 21st century, there’s no realistic alternative to siding with people power.

Mike Ghouse writes “Trusting people to manage their own affairs”.

On February 25^th I wrote:  “Lets support the people movement, after the initial turmoil everything will come together, we must resist the temptation to believe that they cannot handle their affairs; every human and every nation is capable of managing their affairs when each person is free to choose and free to think.” http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/02/raping-al-qaeda.html

And again on on 25^th I wrote, “With the uprising in the Middle East, no doubt there will be chaos, but people can handle their own affairs, and out of that chaos will emerge a fledgling governance of the people by the people for the people.  It is sheer arrogance to believe that they cannot, they said the same thing about India, Indonesia and several other nations.” http://ghousetweets.blogspot.com/2011/02/trusting-people-to-manage-their-own.html

FAREED ZAKARIA & MIKE GHOUSE

On February 27, Fareed Zakaria said it eloquently

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2011/02/27/exp.fareed.zakaria.unrest.thetake.cnn?hpt=C2

Mike Ghouse has echoed the same thoughts thrice, spoken on Hannity Show, Dallas Fox TV, A Radio Station in Portland and Dallas Morning News.

February 14 http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/02/fox-hannity-spencer-bolton-and-ghouse.html

It is a fulfillment of the aspiration of people for their sovereignty; it is the beginning of the freedom, liberty and justice for the people of Egypt.

This is the first time in history that Muslims have chosen non-violence as their path to bring about a change and those attitudes must be encouraged. Do we really mean we support democracy? If we do, the time is now.

February 8, Dallas Morning news - http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/02/obama-throws-me-off-compeletely.html

We must admire them for giving life to one of the most civilized forms of a political change; non-violence. It is a new experience for the Arab world and due encouragement will pave the way for others with similar aspirations.

February 1, http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/02/egypt-positive-change-in-making.html

I am moved by watching the "non-violent" peaceful revolution coming out of Egypt, this is a major paradigm change for Muslims.

Feb 11, Fox Tv - http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2011/02/11/egyptian-celebrations-planned-in-downtown-dallas-frisco/ and http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/02/egypt-freedom-at-last.html  It's one of the most beautiful days of my life; seeing a people get their freedom though non-violence and peaceful means.

I wrote on January 28, 2011

http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/01/egypt-making-lemonade-out-of-lemon.html

Obama understands that equity is sustainable than inequities we have been wrong many times, and I hope this time we will get it right and I trust Obama will do the right thing.

Mubarak will wither away and anything we (U.S.) can do to show support for the aspiration of people will do two things: firm up the people to people peace agreement and prevent the opportunity for brotherhood to take advantage of this.

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Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker, writer, activist and a futurist. He manages the Foundation for Pluralism championing the idea of co-existence through respecting and accepting the otherness of other and is committed to nurturing the pluralistic ideals embedded in Islam through the World Muslim Congress.

Mike is available to speak on Pluralism, Islam, Civil Societies, and Peace & Justice at your work place, place of worship, school, seminars or conferences.  He is a media commentator offering pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. 

Mike's work is reflected at three websites & twenty two Blogs listed at http://www.MikeGhouse.net/