Give the Arabs Credit

Many of us here in the U.S. have been scrambling to figure out who was the real reason behind the Egyptian cries for independence. Was it a speech that Ms Rice gave in 2005? Was it Somehow Barack Obama's charm? I think the answer here might be the most obvious one, the Egyptians themselves. While we in the west would like nothing more than to assume the world moves to our tune, it's a safe bet that the people braving teargas get the credit. While social networks and twitter have made assembly easier for the protestors who triumphed, it has been Egyptian professors who have organized their students and taught political philosophy. The unemployed of Egypt, who have been the backbone of the protest also deserve credit for demanding that there be a state that is better economically than the nepotism status quo. So the next time you hear a friend talk about who changed Egypt, don't forget to make them include the Egyptians!