The dawn must come.

The dawn must come.

Thursday 29 December 2011

Semper Fidelis (*)

By: Ahmed M. EL NAHAS – Montopoli December 24th 2011.
An average common citizen, same as any meticulously vigilant observer, would agree with me that any “Military Establishment” by definition is so “Conservative” that it becomes rigidly reluctant to adopt new ideas for new patterns or tactics which may be invited to meet unprecedented new challenges. It is only flexible enough when in need to use “New Technology” in order to refine or upgrade the overall professional performances for its principal area of expertise: “War”. And obviously only here, in that open window of flexibility, would intervene the gigantic interests of the supporting and sponsoring “Financial and Industrial Lobbies”.
The “Conservative” characteristic of the Military is acceptable only when that Establishment functions within its constitutional role as to “..defend the state..” whatever it may be: a Republic or a Monarchy, “..against all enemies: Foreign and Domestic”, strictly under the command, and by order of, the “Executive Authority” who is nominated and assigned only in accordance with the norms and regulations stipulated by the state constitution. BUT… Such of course is understood in the context of ‘coherent’ practices in ‘healthy’ democracies.. Definitely not the case of the new-born “Egyptian Revolution”.
You wonder why??? I’ll tell you why.. Ever since a simple parade marching towards the King’s Palace, intended to present the demands of the establishment to “His Majesty” back on July 23rd 1952, which mysteriously evolved into that military “Coup-d’Étât later on falsely baptised as the “White Revolution”; the “Military Establishment” couldn’t, or should I say ‘wouldn’t’, set sharp and clearly defined borderlines separating the functional responsibilities between “State”, “System” and “Military”; in order to precisely describe the exact, and detailed, monitor and control measures needed to maintain a stable democratic equilibrium. As a result the three became one, in every aspect of the word. One idea, one jargon, one loyalty, one belief, and most of all One Master with One Doctrine: The Military Establishment and its rigid Conservative Tradition.
Such wouldn’t leave much room for undesirable ideas like “Democracy”, “Freedom of Expression”, or “Transparency”, because they all stand exactly on the opposite side to the sacred Military Tradition and Cultural Doctrine of “Abide by the chain of command in absolute blind obedience”. That is what one can detect from the title, that I chose here above for this article and its explanatory note here below, which is the diagnostic nucleus of the pathologic performance of the Egyptian Military Establishment in general, and its SCAF (Supreme Council of the Armed Forces) in particular.
After the bloody events of January 28th 2011, the day when the Military took matters into their own hands using the already long time well tamed mass communication’s media outlets to flatten the collective conscience by the slogan: “To Protect The Revolution”, and assaulting the dying presidential institution through a silent “Coup-d’Étât”; not to defend the state (Republic) against a  domestic enemy who betrayed the constitution and ridiculed the law by brewing corruption into the “System” to secure his stability to rule a helpless nation; but rather to protect the “System” and keep on ruling.. The Military establishment made that daring move simply to protect itself and maintain a strong grip over the rule.. Since its auto- proclamation as the one and only “master of the hands and lands” for the past sixty years.. (And still counting!). But from that moment on we continue to experience all the reluctance, confusion and denial which characterise every single act performed by that master:
Ø  Maintaining the Emergency Laws;
Ø  bringing the Ex(s) to trial before common civil tribunals while processing protesters and activists before Special Martial Courts;
Ø  reluctance in pursuing the corruptors and profiteers whose parasite behaviour destroyed the country’s economy;
Ø  delaying the purification act;
Ø  maneuvering and manipulating old political forces and movements;
Ø  denying the importance of immediately allowing a “Revolutionary Constituent Assembly” to rewrite the constitution and the new electoral laws;
Ø  manifesting continuous reluctance to  accommodate the revolutionary forces to form an acceptable serious and trustworthy “National Rescue Cabinet” assigned to address national and territorial urgencies…etc.
Not to mention the ongoing build-up of one lie after the other to invent excuses for the mountain of errors it is committing and is arrogantly overlooking.
My point is: if we are celebrating the first year of an intifada style “Rebellion” that overthrew a Dictator and his gang from the helm, then we have earned ourselves every right to  sing and dance.. But if the case is to commemorate the burial of the people’s “Revolution” together with their hopes and dreams for a home (State) under democratic rule (System) whereby everyone is safely free to express his ideas and to chose his governors, where all citizens are being securely protected by a loyal institution (Military Establishment), and where all are governed by a strongly respected and well defended constitution; then our tears and prayers will not be sufficient to clean and wipe out our shame for letting the blood of our brothers and sisters be so generously spilt in vain before a Military Salute and a press release.

Pass On The Word.

(*) Latin for ‘Always Faithful’ or ‘Always Loyal’. Semper Fidelis has served as a slogan for many cities, families and entities, in many countries, dated to have been started no later than the 16th century. The term took its fame ever since the 19th century when it became the adopted ‘Motto’ of the United States Marine Corps. Surprisingly, Semper Fidelis is also the motto of so many Military Corps around the world: The Devonshire Regiment, the West Nova Scotia Regiment, the Dutch Royal Military Academy Cadetcorps, the 11th Infantry Division of the United States Army, the Portuguese Marine Corps (Fuzileiros), the Canadian Forces Base Valcartier, the Swiss Grenadiers, the Republic of China Marine Corps, the Hungarian Government Guard, the Military Institute of Engineering to the Brazilian Army, the Romanian Protection and Guard Service (Secret Service), the Submarine Force of the Chilean Navy.
Many cities, families and schools all over the world have used Semper Fidelis as their Motto, to be visualized upon their emblems and coats, throughout the years as early as the sixteenth century.

Coat of Arms US 11th Infantry

Old Arms of Lviv, Poland


Modern Arms of St. Malo

Coat of Arms city of Exeter, in Devon, England

West Nova Scotia Regiment emblem

United States Marine Corps emblem

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