Don't Settle for a Second Worst

It's been a long day and I'm exhausted and I should sleep.. And I will but it won't be a worried, uneasy sleep but rather one of peace and comfort for the first time in many weeks.. Comfortable in the thought that Egypt has people like Baradei..

 

I have never seen a man, an altruist, so unwilling to take over or lead people who are vying to follow whatever he says.. He's not leading us like a flock... of sheep.. He doesn't claim he's Mr. Know-it-all but he's giving us food for thought so that we THINK and DECIDE.. He is forcing us to be independent thinkers and decide for ourselves and do what's right by our conscience.. And ironically, we're confused because we haven't been doing that for so long.. He is teaching us and I'm in awe..

 

There are many more Egyptians like Baradei and they are the ones we should listen to and endorse.. We should not take the easy way out or settle for second worst not best.. I insist for the nth time that we, and Egypt, deserve better! مصر ولادة ولن تنقطع بركاتها ولا خيرها

Don't Vote for an Evil.. Void for a Better EGYPT

I had decided some time back to void my vote amid continuous effort to dissuade me from sincere friends who warned me that I MUST vote or else "the other evil one" would win..

I wasn't persuaded because I believe that choosing the lesser of two evils isn't an option at this point in time. But after watching Baradei tonight I've become even more convinced that I should stick to whatever I believe is right irrespective of what others think.

It's not a matter of being stubborn or inflexible, it's a matter of principle! Proud to be in the same camp with a great man of vision and ethics like Baradei.. He gave me hope that the Revolution will never die, it can retreat, it can wither but it will never die..

Here's to a better Egypt.. An Egypt of pride, equality and human dignity.. الثورة مستمرة بإذن الله وتحيا مصر  

خسارة يا دكتور برادعي

Sunday - 10 June 2012

لسة مخلصة حلقة البرادعي مع لميس الحديدي التي كان يتخللها دعاية مستمرة لمرسي وشفيق واتحسرت :( مستوى تاني خاااالص عن المرحلة الأولى والثانية!!! ما هذا الرجل؟ ما هذه الرؤية والنضج السياسي والفكر الواضح والثبات على المبدأ؟ ما هذه الوطنية ومصر أولا والنزاهة ودماثة الخلق؟ ما زلت مرشحي الأول يا دكتور برادعي.. خسارة وألف خسارة :((((

To Void or not to Void.. That is the Question

Objectively and far from any emotional evaluation? Let's analyze.

 The results of the presidential elections were as follows..
1. Over 24% voted for Morsi
2. Over 23% voted for Shafiq
3. Over 20% voted for Sabbahy
4. 17% voted for Aboul Fotouh
5. A little over 11% voted for Amre Moussa
6. 1% voted for El Awa
7. Over 0.5% voted for Khaled Ali
... 8. Rest of the candidates got from 0.05% to 0.17% each

 Irrespective of whether you agree with or approve of them the duo Shafiq and Moussa got a total of 34% of the vote. So to ignore them in the proposed presidential council is both undemocratic and an exclusion of a third of the voters. This is exasperated by including the Revolutionary Khaled Ali who only got 0.5%. Although I'm heart and soul with the Revolution I have to say this is a bias, though understandable..

 Now.. let's continue to analyze this:
1. Turnout: 46% of registered voters
2. Voters' lists were not scrutinized and included non-eligible voters like conscripts and the dead..
4. There were disparate instances of rigging ~ ballots with Hamdeen as a choice were found.
5. There were many instances of lax control
6. There were many instances of manipulation

 Overall, do the elections reflect a democratic process? Yes they do, albeit imperfect and faulty.. What is happening in Tahrir now is 18 months too late.. If we want credibility then this scenario should've been done BEFORE the elections and not before the re-runs.. Also, all lawsuits should've been filed right after the elections; the only excuse is that new evidence may have surfaced. Furthermore, we should've INSISTED on the political dismissal or disqualification of Shafiq before the elections and not start an uproar after his surprise performance.. And to demand the MB to relinquish their ambition of a president when it's so close is overly naive. Blame it all on the disappointing Mubarak trial verdict which instantly resurrected feelings of oppression and injustice and ignited anti-regime emotions which were translated into an anti-Shafiq frenzy (more than a pro-Morsi one). I was personally inclined likewise but what I'm seeing from MB and Morsi isn't comforting and my position remains to void my vote.. Having said that I confirm that I would NEVER, EVER choose Shafiq.. NEVER.. What now? We continue to observe how this saga unfolds and choose for Egypt.. United we stand, divided we fall.. الثورة مستمرة بإذن الله وتحيا مصر :))))

Food for Thought

When one expresses a point of view, that's an opinion.. When one objectively analyzes an opposing point of view that's a sound argument. When one debates another person's point of view and scrutinizes its pros and cons, that is sound and solid reasoning.. But when one negatively attacks an opponent in order to discredit his/her view, then there's a major flaw in logic and it imm...ediately undermines the argument and it loses credibility, as well as the one making the accusations. This fallacious line of argument is called: Argumentum Ad hominem, one of many red herring fallacies. Another most commonly used fallacy is Appeal to Emotions, like fear, where an argument is made by increasing fear and prejudice towards the opposing side here's a link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fallacies

We're all guilty of falling for these fallacies to endorse our point of view albeit fallaciously, by differing degrees, either knowingly or otherwise.. If you want the other person to listen to what you have to say and have a positive, constructive exchange and hopefully agree on common ground, don't negatively attack them, belittle their point of view or conviction. That is, if you really want them to listen.. But if you're just in it to attack and discredit the other, then there's no thought in that..only a mission and an agenda..