The Third Structure.

By: Maged Taman

When I was in my country Egypt and passing by one of the Patriot democratic party buildings, I usually talks to myself there is no hope to us. You see the police outside the building and inside the strong corrupt and well connected members of the party. Most of them are hypocrite and protect their own interest. As you know no tyrant can stand alone.

There is always the first structure which are the people who are member of his party and enjoy the benefits that the regime provide them. In return they are to stand to any democratic voice and rally people around the tyrant. This is what I call the first structure or the party members. In the Arab kingdoms they are usually the extended family and close allies. Then the second structure comes which cause the domination of this tyrant and his party over the media and most of the powers in the country: police, military, university officials and other important posts in the country.

If this is not enough as in some tyrants that seek total domination they use another big power as in the old soviet union and Eastern Europe before and America now. IT is what I call it the third structure. So to change a regime you have to penetrate through these three structures. In my country Egypt of course you will be even crazy if you would even think about it. People who are crazy and thought about it they talked about a military coo which is likely to bring another tyrant regime. Others thought about revolution which is very difficult to do and will jeopardize a lot of people to death. You have to remember that Mubarak was the one who ordered the police to shoot people in the streets in 1/18, 1/19 upraise against former dictator Sadat. He did right with peace with Israel but he was a dictator and left us with a tyrant.

The other way you can try as I did before 9/11 is to publish in American media to get the politicians' attention. They did not publish may article that talk about the dictatorship of the Arab leaders. I was even afraid if get more vocal that the American government would supply my name to the Arab regimes. As you see America (the third structure) was looking for its major interests: the oil, protecting Israel and protecting these corrupt regime. After 9/11 you get people talk about the need of democracy and fighting poverty in the Arab world. This media consumption is to deflect the anger of the young Arab and Muslims. Meanwhile they work in the dark to support these regimes to fight the terrorists.

As you would guessed my mind does not belong to any of the above I am a real mix:I am pro-Jewish and for Israel existence, real moderate Muslim with western mentality, very prodemocratic well identified by many in the liberals and conservative and like family values. I was never in any party in my country and in the West I am very independent. I am basically a man in the middle.