Mubarak Resigns

Hosni Mubarak is now the former president of Egypt. He handed over control of the country to the military leaders on the evening of February 11th. Celebrations throughout Cairo were roaring and people were already talking glowingly about "the events of 2/11".

The eighteen days of protest now has its climax. The writing, though, was spelled out in large Arabic letters on most walls in Egypt. The military leaders got together just a few days ago and had a summit meeting. Noticeably absent and uninvited was Mubarak. Didn't I mention earlier that a despotic leader, to hold onto power, must leave the military institution rather independent and intact, but that in turn makes them vulnerable to precisely that institution? Those military leaders issued a statement they called "Communiqué 1" in which they put down on paper their intention to support the true will of the people of Egypt. Usually plans with the number "1" in their name coming from the military are used for start-overs.

Mubarak is gone.

Something interesting to put this in perspective: consider 2/11 a nice bookend to 9/11. On September 11th, 2001, the Arab world looked like the wild west, like no one could be in power without being a thug, like democracy was nothing but a word dissolving in the sandy chaos. On February 11th, 2011, a revolution was enacted by the will of the people--without firing a single bullet--out in the apparently less chaotic sands.