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Tunisia and Egypt are both ruled by dictators, as are many other societies in the Arab world and beyond. But is it really that different in these United States, as our corporate media and government leaders would have us believe? Is this country so democratic and free that a similar sort of uprising is not needed here?

As we’ve all listened to the endless pronouncements these past few days by U.S. leaders and political pundits about the democratic uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, why have we not been responding with a mixture of hysterical laughter and weeping? Have we not noticed how similar our grievances are to theirs? Have we become so numb about the sorry state of our own so-called “democracy” that we can no longer even imagine ourselves joining with strangers to demand a truly democratic society in these United States?

Over the past few days, I’ve gathered quotations about the Tunisian and Egyptian democratic uprisings.  You might be surprised who said what! Can you imagine someone saying these identical words about our country?

* “People have grown tired of corrupt institutions and a stagnant political order. They are demanding reforms to make their governments more effective, more responsive, and more open.” (1)

* “If you look at this protest these are really local conditions driving this even as we saw in Tunisia. You have poverty. You have issues of access. You have young professionals, middle class, educated people complaining bitterly about a lack of opportunity.” (2)