Cairo, Egypt –As the former Egyptian autocrat, Hosni Mubarak, flipped through channels on his satellite TV, using a remote from his prison hospital bed, he watched in shock and awe police successfully clearing out the encamped protestors at “Occupy Oakland” and other cities across America.
Turning to a former aide, he reportedly commented: “Sanitation? Really?! Damn! Why didn’t I think of that?!”
“Who knew Democracy could get that dirty,” his aide replied. “Besides, you opted for a military crackdown and henchmen on camel back with whips, remember?”
“Yes, I remember,” Mubarak replied, as he tuned to one side, allowing a nurse to change his bedpan. “I shouldn have listened to the Americans and gone with the flow. I’d probably still be in power right now.”
“You had no choice,” comforted the aide.
“I know. I know,” said Mubarak. “But why didn’t I think of it on my own?”
“Sanitation,” the aide reintroduced the subject into the conversation. “You mean?”
“Yeah,” said Mubarak. “It’s such a rational excuse to crush a peaceful opposition to oppression. Sanitation, sanitation, sanitation!”
“Like sweeping dust under the carpet?” replied the aide.
“Yeah, it even sounds noble, as if saving the martyrs from themselves,” reflected Mubarak. “Gee, I wish I would have gone with that instead.”
“Not to mention that it would have played so well in the state controlled media and polls too,” added the aide.
“Don’t remind me,” said Mubarak.
After an uncomfortable pause, Mubarak spoke again.
“I have to ask,” he said. “What do you think the end game would have been like?”
“I really don’t know,” replied the aide. “You had the state controlled media arrested and all the pollsters shot.”
“Oh, yeah,” said Mubarak. “I remember now…By the way, what were the poll results. What were the peoples’ concerns? Jobs? Falling wages? The economy? Foreclosures? Student loans? Healthcare? What?”
“Sanitation, maybe?” reluctantly answered the aide.
“Sanitation?” said Mubarak. “Really?!”
Copyright © 2008-2011 by Robert W. Armijo. All rights reserved.
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