What's with Egypt?

[rosada]

I asked the i Ching for a comment on the current political situation in Egypt.
I received

12.4 > 20

12.4
He who acts at the command of the highest
Remains without blame.
Those of like mind partake of the blessing.

The time of standstill is nearing the point of change into its opposite. Whoever wishes to restore order must feel himself called to the task and have the necessary authority. A man who sets himself up as capable of creating order according to his own judgment could make mistakes and end in failure.
But the man who is truly called to the task is favored by the conditions of the time, and all those of like mind will share in his blessing.
-Wilhelm

Obviously Mubarak is not the man but who is the one truly called to the task?
20. The whole world is watching.
---

Some newscaster made the comment that this uprising has been triggered by Facebook and Twitter - the fact that the citizens of Egypt can now tune in for themselves on what the whole world is doing (20) has inspired them to get out of their Standstill (12) and into this modern era.

I think this reading is an interesting example of how the derived hexagram can describe both the surrounding circumstances and the outcome.

-rosada

 

[rodaki]

Great reading Rosada . . I was just watching the news after seeing this and I noticed a couple of 12.4s in micro-levels also going on . .

One of them is the story about Mubarak's son who was promoted as his chosen 'heir' to the seat of government. Well, the story goes that as soon as the riots started he fled to London where, they say, he watches what goes on from his tv set . . obviously not very much 'called to the task' . .

Another one is that those who aren't on the streets are staying locked up in their homes (standstill?) because the situation is too dangerous out -with prison doors opened many criminals are roaming about- and wait for the upheaval to die away before they can go see for themselves. Many non-natives are also blocked in various parts of the country watching out for when they'll be able to leave safely.

As to who could be called to the task, all eyes seem to fall towards Elbaradei's side as possible head of a transitional government
. . the rest of course remains to be seen . .

fwiw, I don't know about the social networking sites' influence but the situation in the area has been going for sometime now . . a while ago it was Tunisia, now Egypt

 

[chingching]

http://totallycoolpix.com/2011/01/the-egypt-protests/

 

[rosada]

OMG. Chingching, these pictures are mindboggling. You can't tell who is who or what side anyone is on, just horrific, tragic pictures of violence. No wonder the regular t.v. stations don't show pictures of war. Who could be convinced that any problems would be solved this way?
-rosada

 

[chingching]

I know, I love the fact that so many are close ups and you can really see the emotions on peoples faces.

I too feel at a loss when such violence breaks out but the realist in me isn't shocked as I recognise that this is intrinsically part of the process of change, perhaps with time and new generations this will alter but any reform will have to encompass the tendency of repression/control and its inevitable backlash. We all do it even within ourselves. Nature does it.

It has interested me for a long time how to approach these kinds of problems with humanity, and a lot of the time I read about solutions which just are not based in reality, wonderful ideas but ones that tend to rely on the reform of government systems and social structures to eradicate age old human traits such as greed, power lust or even on a lower level traits like a drive to achieve etc. I wont go on any longer... but I asked:

What purpose does violent activism/protesting versus violent state policing achieve? (I'm sure a lot of you can answer this without the oracle but I just thought it would be interesting to see it through the words of the yijing)

33.2.3.4 > 59

Rosada I think like your reading above 59 is both the context and the answer. The dispersion opens up the opportunity for reuniting, rebuilding. but what of 33

The power of the dark is ascending. The light retreats to security, so that the dark cannot encroach upon it. This retreat is a matter not of man's will but of natural law.

So everyone's dark side advances and their lighter natures retreat as a response to the part of a natural cycle, its time for dispersion.

2. Strongly held beliefs?
3. Withdrawing from their day to day attachments? (I might be over shooting here) or is this line more advice on what is ideal when one's 'lower' drives(the dark) present themselves
4.This again seems like good advice but doesn't point to the violence that breaks out. (Or it could be describing the retreat of some involved as Rodaki pointed out

Another one is that those who aren't on the streets are staying locked up in their homes

).

Could the lines in this reading simply point to a better way of handling the inevitable rise of the dark and retreat of the light. Sorry for the long post, but it really interests me.

 

[chingching]

Trojan, I swear you posted in here.... I was just about to reply to you, facebook/twitter are mundane but its their everyday presence, being mundane, that accumulates power and influence. We live in interesting times.

Rosada sorry I hijacked your thread with another yi reading, its all just very thought provoking.

 

[anemos]

an interesting article where both reading could be seen into

http://www.cfr.org/egypt/political-instability-egypt/p19696

http://i.cfr.org/content/publications/attachments/CPA_contingencymemo_4.pdf

 

[anemos]

I
What purpose does violent activism/protesting versus violent state policing achieve? (I'm sure a lot of you can answer this without the oracle but I just thought it would be interesting to see it through the words of the yijing)

33.2.3.4 > 59

Do you think that this reading has to do with Mubarak's announcement made this evening?

 

[sooo]

just a couple thoughts in the midnight hour..

12 and 33 appear to relate well as primary hexagrams for this matter of potentially world power shifting revolution. As I'm seeing it, 12 means "stop, no more, enough", while 33 says "back off, don't tread on me. Bradford titles 33 Dun, Distancing. Pardon the obvious pun with Dun. :bag:

Also, to the cause, standstill plays a real role in the conflict, as ambitious and bright young men look for ways to advance themselves and their causes, and find themselves with too few opportunities and choices, held back by a repressive regime. History repeats itself. It's a delicate matter to say the least, and Yi may be saying to stand back and retreat from it, quite literally. 59 can have far-reaching implications. But I think it's more preemptively saying that this people need to now choose their own destiny.

Seems to me that the military are the only ones showing considerable restraint, considering what they have the potential to unleash upon its own people. There appears (to me) solidarity between them.

Glad I live out here where it's safe, in the Mojave nuclear testing grounds. But seriously, Yi seems to say (to me) not to interfere with their internal process at this time. I think any "advice" will only stir greater resistance, and distancing from the secular world.

 

[Tohpol]

an interesting article where both reading could be seen into

http://www.cfr.org/egypt/political-instability-egypt/p19696

http://i.cfr.org/content/publications/attachments/CPA_contingencymemo_4.pdf

Council on Foreign Relations...Hmm. This think tank is extremely influential in US geo-politcal policy and essentially believe in US global dominance at virtually any means. The elegance and seemingly sophisticated presentation belies quite a lot of sabre-rattling. Which is why CFR has so many corporate and political movers and shakers.

You can usually read in exactly these types of CFR essays what is happening in foreign policy in the Middle East and what message they like to present to the public. Remember that dictators like Murabak are seated there by Washington and state depart. the Pentagon etc. The decisions are taken there. Removing a puppet does not a revolution make. If the pro-democracy / activist movement doesn't address the influence of US and other foreign powers and their international financial institutions and their historic control of Egypt through Murbarak then it'll be a revolving door regardless of the authenticity of the uprising. You have to throw out the neo-liberal economic framework in order for there to be any genuine change. This appears to make 33.2.3.4 > 59 more pertinent in this context.

 

[chingching]

interesting to look back on this in light of events, and bradford's thread in ex. div. on 59.5