A place to hear emotionally charged rants, see epic travel pictures, and read about hilarious life out takes as I flounder my way through life in various foreign countries.
taking money away from any beneficial public service is just plan wrong; especially when it's one that helps people, in this case women, with important health/reproductive issues.
So everyone surely knows by now about all the (new) unrest in the middle east and how those tired, brave Egyptians managed to peacefully, and successfully hold a revolution. Also, everyone must know that this revolution (actually I believe it was the Tunisians that started everything) has had a snowball effect on the rest of the middle east and now everyone else (Iran, Jordan, Yemen, Bahrain etc etc) has gotten a fire up their butts to revolt against their governments for various reasons (mostly I believe it's for democracy). I say, good for them, it's about time and I wish them all the best. I wish America could pull off a peaceful revolt to get the attention of our own government to start focusing on American needs rather than trying to fix the whole world.
I'm not expert but, I can't help but wonder if these revolts will truly make a difference. I mean, the Egyptians got Mubarak out of office but what's next? The Islamic Brotherhood doesn't seem like they'd be much better than Mubarak (for different reasons though, mostly those being religious~don't want another Iran do we? And that's not to say that they're the only contenders either, but they do hold power) but if not them, then who's going to take the seat? Can they really achieve democracy like we know it in the US? It seems to me that whenever democracy tries to butt it's ugly head into the middle east it always fails (in regards to Iraq). I know the biggest thing is freedom for the people and fairness in government (I heard one protester say that he wants a government without corruption; a nice dream that everyone sleeps to at night). So I hope that whatever path they take in all these countries they will be able to incorporate the basic human rights they've been lacking and stop terrorizing the people (torturing your people is bad, mm'kay?) and boost their country's economy and job markets (a familiar cry that Americans are no stranger to).
I will say one thing though, revolution is definitely a young persons thing. Young people are the ones who must strive to make a difference because the older generations are content (or just done with trying). I think Americans and Japanese a like should look to the middle east for inspiration and make a difference in their countries (respectively). I feel that my generation is extremely lazy (in the US and Japan) and we just either leave when things get too tough (look at me, haha) or we just ignore it and try to live with it. Stop letting the ageing big wigs control our futures (and ruining our housing markets/selling our souls to China; although the topic of China ruling the world one day is a whole other rant all together). Viva La Freakin' Revolution~
