He writes, “…When I was in Cairo during the Egyptian uprising, I wanted to change hotels one day to be closer to the action and called the Marriott to see if it had any openings. The young-sounding Egyptian woman who spoke with me from the reservations department offered me a room and then asked: “Do you have a corporate rate?” I said, “I don’t know. I work for The New York Times.” There was a silence on the phone for a few moments, and then she said: “ Can I ask you something?” Sure. “Are we going to be O.K.? I’m worried.”
Quite naturally, Thomas did a superb job in the piece. However, he didn’t answer her question. I would be really interested in his opinion on this matter. Specifically, whether or not he would have answered the question in the affirmative. Never the less, he didn’t. He goes on to say, “…Make no mistake where my heart lies. I still believe this Arab democracy movement was inevitable, necessary and built on a deep and authentic human quest for freedom, dignity and justice.
But without extraordinary leadership, the Arab transitions are going to be much harder than in Eastern Europe. Pray for Germanys. Hope for South Africas. Prepare for Yugoslavias. “ I am sure he will get back around to answering the question. In the meantime, I, like her, will have to wait and see.
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