Who wouldn't want to be in Cairo tonight? What an admirable display we have witnessed in the last few days in Egypt. Millions of people, without using force or violence, overthrew their dictator and for at least one night, the people of Egypt are free!
One reporter on Al Jazeera, asked one of the rally leaders today, “when will you form a new government?”
His response was, “Not tonight! Tonight we celebrate!”
And good for them! But, why doesn't anyone ask, “If everything is fine tonight, and there isn't murder and overwhelming crime in the street with no government tonight, why not just leave it this way?”
Alas, we can't ask too much of the Egyptian people. They have just finally overthrown their dictator and removed their shackles but we can't expect them to lead the world in TRUE freedom and rid themselves completely of government. After all, for them, democracy looks like heaven (it isn't but it is understandable why they may feel that way after what they've been through).
All the usual suspects are already jossling for position. Iran has made inroads to forming an Iran friendly government. Hillary Clinton keeps droning on with her statist rhetoric and Barack Obama just performed yet another stunning flip-flop, going from sending $1 billion per year to the Egyptian Government to keep its power over the people to congratulating the Egyptian people for overturning the American puppet government!
You can't really blame anyone for fighting for the power to control others though. It pays very well. Hillary and Bill Clinton are proof of that. They went from being broke lawyers to multi-millionaires in a few short years. And Hosni Mubarak himself is guesstimated at possibly being the richest man in the world with estimates of his wealth being between $40 to $70 billion. Not bad considering he never had a real job. Every cent of those billions is stolen money – much of it received from the US Government in “foreign aid”. Foreign aid, best defined by Doug Casey as “A transfer of money from poor people in rich countries to rich people in poor countries.”
Yet, now that the Egyptians are free, starting tomorrow, the great majority will all be looking to instill someone new as “their leader”. Of course, they think this person will be doing them a service – perhaps promoting this or that thing they like. But, in reality, they are just electing their new slave owner… one for which there is no guarantee he will be better or worse than Mubarak.
Sadly, many people think that the Egyptian people will now be free because they may now have democracy. Democracy has nothing to do with freedom. In fact, in almost every instance of democracy it is the antithesis of freedom.
Instead of having a dictator, Egyptians may now have the “right” to choose their dictator every few years in elections. Voting, the slave's suggestion box.
However, there is some hope. Many interviews with the average Egyptian citizen in the streets seems to show that they seem very, very intent on gaining freedom – and they showed it by their actions over the last few weeks. They, as most do, mistake democracy for freedom but if enough of the population is that intent on freedom then perhaps they will have a tangible amount of freedom which could dramatically change the fortunes of the country as a whole.
If that were the case and/or other Arab countries also went down the same path then this is potentially a very important change for the entire region. Up until a few weeks ago if you were asked which region has the best chance for greater freedoms and thereby massive potential for growth, not many would have said the Arab states.
We will be keeping a close eye on all developments in the region. Greater freedom always, without fail, results in major gains in wealth and so if this event today increases freedom greatly in Egypt and the entire region we may have to take a serious look at real estate and stocks in this area.
I wished I could have been there all this week but I had prior obligations I had to attend to in Mexico and in the US but I am planning a trip this summer to Africa and Egypt will be near the top of my list to visit to get a good look at progress, or lack thereof, on the ground.
Until then, enjoy the party tonight Egyptians! You are almost completely, totally free, something that almost everyone else in the world has never felt – except those who have expatriated and who live their lives in ways that their finances and activities are not overseen by any particular government – something we highly recommend and write about often in TDV.
Now, when you wake up tomorrow morning, Egyptians, don't be too eager to quickly erect your new walls… take a look around and notice you are free and consider just leaving it the way it is.
Nation states are a silly concept and are on their way out anyway. Why not be the first to do it? Someone please print up 90 million copies of The Market For Liberty translated into Arabic and distribute it throughout Egypt by morning!
One can dream, can't he?
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