The Revolution Is Televised

To a nightmare of knowledge he opens up the gate
And a blinding revelation is laid upon his plate - CRUCIFIXION by Phil Ochs

(WINDSOR, N.H.) - TONIGHT, MY HEART IS WITH THE COURAGEOUS PEOPLE OF EGYPT AS THEY TEMPT FATE BEFORE THE EYES OF THE ENTIRE WORLD. Lied to by the Military, the ministers and elders, mislead by rumour and by the media, great joy was snuffed out in an instant as the grand ego of a sinister pirate clung to the mast of his sinking ship laughing and sneering at the masses come to cast him adrift.

In my lifetime, I have been a part of many protests, marches, and confrontations. Never, however, have I witnessed a bravery such as theirs. Knowing the incredible risks they face, these beautiful, peaceful people have endured weeks of sacrifice to face down one of the world's most despicable dictators and his twisted regime.

In my days of protest, we went.. we chanted.. we danced.. we drank.. and we went home. Tonight I witness the tents and sleeping bags on sidewalks that have been “home” for the displaced of Egypt and only imagine what change we could have wrought had we committed ourselves in this way. Sure, some of us pushed the envelope a bit and were gassed, beaten and hauled off in chains but it now seems so very small a gesture.

Knowing that the police, “secret” police and military have been photographing and filming them, knowing that by placing themselves on the front line, at anytime now or in the future Mubarak's henchmen can snatch them from their homes, work, schools, etc.. and knowing that torture and death are a very real possibility for staring down an entire regime.. torture and death to them, to their friends and to their families.. the brilliant and brave people of Egypt endure the sacrifices, face the fears that so many of us cannot..dare not.. imagine, and dance together in the streets.. in solidarity.. in belief.. in faith that their sacrifices will bring a better life.. if not for them immediately but for all future Egyptians.. dance in the faces of evil men.. dance in the faces of the empires of evil that have supported Mubarak and his thugs for the past 30 years.. dance in the face of those who see them as no more than expendable flesh and bones... TONIGHT, MY HEART AND SOUL ARE WITH THE COURAGEOUS UNARMED WARRIORS OF PEACE, JUSTICE, AND FREEDOM.. THE BEAUTIFUL MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN OF EGYPT.<

As I endlessly stare at Al Jazeera and CNN and strain to hear a message of hope from someone..anyone.. and dissect it.. placing it in comparison with all the coups of history having occurred in my lifetime.. I cannot help but run Phil Ochs' “CRUCIFIXION” over and over again in my mind and endlessly wipe my eyes. These people will either live or die.. and all will eventually die. These people will struggle as they have never struggled before.. and their pain will pour from their flesh like fire and like ice. These people and their future generations will win almost as much as they will lose. History reminds me that evil is overcome only for short stretches of time. It hovers over the newborn waiting for the first sign of weakness.. waiting for the ill and the maimed. Inevitably the workers who have overcome the hive succumb to a queen. Inevitably, the lovers find fault and crush the spirit that dared them to challenge the odds of everlasting.

And the night comes again to the circle studded sky
The stars settle slowly, in loneliness they lie
'Till the universe explodes as a falling star is raised
Planets are paralyzed, mountains are amazed
But they all glow brighter from the brilliance of the blaze

With the speed of insanity, then he dies.

In the green fields a turnin', a baby is born
His cries crease the wind and mingle with the morn
An assault upon the order, the changing of the guard
Chosen for a challenge that is hopelessly hard
And the only single sound is the sighing of the stars
But to the silence and distance they are sworn

So dance dance dance
Teach us to be true

Come dance dance dance
'Cause we love you

Images of innocence charge him go on
But the decadence of destiny is looking for a pawn
To a nightmare of knowledge he opens up the gate
And a blinding revelation is laid upon his plate
That beneath the greatest love is a hurricane of hate
And God help the critic of the dawn.

So he stands on the sea and shouts to the shore,
But the louder that he screams the longer he's ignored
For the wine of oblivion is drunk to the dregs
And the merchants of the masses almost have to be begged
'Till the giant is aware, someone's pulling at his leg,
And someone is tapping at the door.

To dance dance dance
Teach us to be true

Come dance dance dance
'Cause we love you

Then his message gathers meaning and it spreads across the land
The rewarding of his pain is the following of the man
But ignorance is everywhere and people have their way
Success is an enemy to the losers of the day
In the shadows of the churches, who knows what they pray
For blood is the language of the band.

The Spanish bulls are beaten; the crowd is soon beguiled,
The matador is beautiful, a symphony of style
Excitement is ecstatic, passion places bets
Gracefully he bows to ovations that he gets
But the hands that are applauding are slippery with sweat
And saliva is falling from their smiles

So dance dance dance
Teach us to be true

Come dance dance dance
'Cause we love you

Then this overflow of life is crushed into a liar
The gentle soul is ripped apart and tossed into the fire.
First a smile of rejection at the nearness of the night
Truth becomes a tragedy limping from the light
All the heavens are horrified, they stagger from the sight
As the cross is trembling with desire.

They say they can't believe it, it's a sacrilegious shame
Now, who would want to hurt such a hero of the game?
But you know I predicted it; I knew he had to fall
How did it happen? I hope his suffering was small.
Tell me every detail, for I've got to know it all,
And do you have a picture of the pain?

So dance dance dance
Teach us to be true

Come dance dance dance
'Cause we love you

Time takes her toll and the memory fades
but his glory is broken, in the magic that he made.
Reality is ruined; it's the freeing from the fear
The drama is distorted, to what they want to hear
Swimming in their sorrow, in the twisting of a tear
As they wait for the new thrill parade.

Yes, the eyes of the rebel have been branded by the blind
To the safety of sterility, the threat has been refined
The child was created to the slaughterhouse he's led
So good to be alive when the eulogy is read
The climax of emotion, the worship of the dead
And the cycle of sacrifice unwinds.

So dance dance dance
Teach us to be true

Come dance dance dance
'Cause we love you

And the night comes again to the circle studded sky
The stars settle slowly, in loneliness they lie
'Till the universe explodes as a falling star is raised
Planets are paralyzed, mountains are amazed
But they all glow brighter from the brilliance of the blaze
With the speed of insanity, then he died.

TONIGHT, MY HEART IS WITH THE COURAGEOUS PEOPLE OF EGYPT AS THEY TEMPT FATE BEFORE THE EYES OF THE ENTIRE WORLD and I sit here wondering what it will take, as seemingly impossible as it is, for my generation and those who have come after us to walk into the fire as these beautiful Egyptians have done and come out in the cool water free, internally, to stand up to the evil regime that sees us as no more than expendable flesh and bones.. grist for the mills. I wonder, with a bit of a pop smirk, what it must be like to walk like an Egyptian. In the morning I will live. In the morning my brothers and sisters in a far away land will live.. or die.

M. Dennis Paul, Ph.D. is a Counselor and Conflict Resolution Specialist/Consultant (Mediation/Arbitration/Facilitation) (20+ yrs).

He is the Creator of Thought Addiction programs (Lectures Seminars & Workshops) (Intensive 21 day Addiction Recovery Programs designed for Artists, Actors, Musicians & Industry Leaders) residing in New Hampshire (US). (The Website for M. Dennis Paul, Ph.D. is currently under reconstruction)