Canadian Foreign Policy in Relation With Egypt's Current Issues

       Violence, protests and uproar has been taking place throughout Egypt at the end of January and into the beginning of February. Most of Egypt's population dislike their President Hosni Mubarak as he has been running a corrupt government. President Mubarak  has been ruling Egypt for thirty years as of now and most probably will resign out of office soon. On January 28, 2011 President Mubarak asked his Cabin to resign and promised reforms in his first response to protesters who have mounted the biggest challenge ever to his thirty year rule of Egypt. In response to the protests, President Mubarak's government shut down and blocked internet access all throughout the country and blocked cell phone networks. This was done in order for Egyptians to not communicate via social networking sites such as Twitter and texting each other from cell phones in regards to protests and violence which would spread around the country drastically. Many lives of innocent individuals have been taken as well as police officers during Egypt's crisis.

    Canada's response to Egypt's crisis was to remain calm and respect the freedom, human rights, democracy and the rule of law. Canada calls on Egypt's government to ensure that their freedom of expression is respected by, along with other measures such as unblocking the internet and cell phone networks. Canada urges the Egyptian government to ensure freedom of political expression to its citizens as it is part of their freedom of expression.

      Canada's response to Egypt's crisis seems dull as a reflection of our Canadian values because all we basically did was to ensure the people of Egypt that they will have their internet and cell phone networks back as soon as possible as well as informing the government several times to guarantee them their freedom of political expression to its citizens. Yes, the Egyptians should get their democratic rights back as we have in our Canadian values since an individuals rights to freedom and democracy is stated in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms; therefore our response displays a positive reflection of our Canadian values.



Hosni Mubarak



      There has been many people who have lost their lives in these political protests and many have suffered from the loss of their individual freedoms. I believe the official response of the Government of Canada should be that we should increase our activity in assisting throughout a democracy in Egypt. We should also be alert of the elections, making sure that the votes are counted properly in a fair manner because corruptivity may and certainly will occur such as during the elections when Hosni Mubarak had been re-elected many times. To prevent a corrupt government running Egypt, Canada should step in letting Egyptian citizens have their freedom of expression and democracy as Canada is a nation who brings peace to others.

“He is a liar, and he is making things up to make the army and the people enemies,”

     Values are very important for people all over the world and based on values is how many people live their everyday life. Values are hugely respected and needed throughout the world even in international diplomacy. To negotiate peaceful relations between nations and people, values do matter no matter how good or bad the situation is. Almost all countries throughout the world have similar values and morals, a common one being not to kill someone.

Egypt has been "the intellectual heart and soul of the Arab world," says Robin Wright, author of Dreams and Shadows: The Future of the Middle East. "As a trendsetter, it has influenced everything from the dominant ideology in the region to relations with Israel."

    With the Canadian foreign policy helping out in Egypt in its current situation, it  gives Canada a good reputation and good ties with Egypt. This is good for our own western policy interests. Now what do we gain from helping out in Egypt? Well, as Egypt is one of the main trading centre within the Arab countries, we may have special access to their natural resources and goods in their country which will be a benefit for Canada. In short, the Canadian foreign policy needs to be smart when dealing with a huge situation as it may benefit our nation in future.

"If the principles imply that we're contradicting some of our economic interests that's maybe the right thing to do at this point." - Thomas Woodley, president of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East.

Anyhow political theorist Machiavelli believes that a man should gain as much power as possible whether is  hated or loved by others. Machiavelli states that it is better to be feared than to be loved by others as long as the individual has the most power in hand. Mubarak is not an example of Machiavelli because yes, Mubarak did gain power and control of Egypt for a certain amount of time, but in the end result Mubarak was kicked out of his position by his own people.

John Locke

      Thomas Hobbes and John Locke are two political theorists who have different yet similar political theories. Thomas Hobbes came up with the term "state of nature" which means what life would be like without having a ruling government. In the state of nature, every individual have their rights, or license to everything in the world. In this state, people fear death and lack essential items which are necessary for everyday life, as well the hope of being able to toil to obtain the. According to Thomas Hobbes, he believes that society is a population which is under a sovereign authority, to whom all people in that society seek a few rights for the sake of security and protection. Hobbes also believes that any abuse to this power is accepted as the sovereign must control civil, judicial and military powers.



Thomas Hobbes



     However, John Locke argues Hobbes that human nature is characterized by tolerance and reason. A similarity between Hobbes are Locke is that both believe that it is the human nature which allows men to be naturally selfish. In a natural state all individuals are equal and indepenedent, and everyone has the natural right to defend their social possessions such as an individual's liberty and health.  

     In relation with Locke and Hobbes and Egypt's crisis with Canada's involvement, Mubarak is not portrayed as Hobbes because the people of Egypt did not follow their soverign authority and he was not able to control his people within his territory. On the other hand, Canada believes in freedom and democracy for all people and that all people have an equal amount of rights. Locke also believes that people have their natural rights such as their right to life, health and liberty. This sounds similar like Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedom for example in Section 7 of the Charter it guarantees all individuals their right to life, liberty and security. Canada's role would be to let the peope of Egypt seek their freedom in the country while Hobbes would just barge into Egypt creating havoc and making people do only what the government commands. Locke would believe that all violence and damage caused in Egypt by the protesters were done in order to gain freedom and democracy within their country and not be ruled by a corrupt government. In the Egypt situation, Hobbes is being thrown down as the ruling government did not succeed and rule their people resulting Mubarak in loss.

    Hence Hobbe's political theory is not much applicable throughout the situation which had currently occurred in Egypt, making Locke's theory more successful regarding Egypt's crisis and Canada's role in Egypt.
   

Hitler - A Modern Machiavellian Prince

Adolph Hitler (left)

Niccolo Machiavelli (right)

     Niccolo Machiavelli is an Italian diplomat, political theorist, and a historian who has written the political book called The Prince. Machiavelli emphasized the need for realism, as opposed to idealism. In The Prince, he does not explain what he believes is the best ethical or political goals, except the control of one's fortune. Throughout The Prince, Machiavelli explains how a perfect ruler or dictator should be and also one who does not hesitate when he must take a decision. He also talks about how a man who is mentally powerful who cannot be brought down by any words or actions done by others. A famous line from The Prince is "It's better to be feared/hated than to be loved." However, there are many types of Machiavellian leaders and dictators in today's time such as Saddam Hussein, Napoleon, Hosni Mubarak, Vladimir Putin and Hitler just to name a few! Anyhow, I will relate to how Hitler is an example of  a modern day Machiavellian prince from his past actions throught his period of ruling in Germany.


      "It's better to be feared/hated than to be loved." - From The Prince


The quote above by Machiavelli is a famous line from his readings named The Prince. It relates majorly with Hitler's personality. Hitler believes that it is better for people to hate or be scared of him rather than being loved. An example of this is Hitler's hatred on the Jews, he believed the Jews were the cause of the World Wars leading him to torture the Jews and letting the Jews fear Hitler. He always followed the path of being feared thinking it is better because at least he will be the person who is always in power and is heard by all. Hitler's actions prove Machiavelli's saying because he was feared by millions of people throughout the world but also was the only person in dominant power.


Machiavelli also states in The Prince that "war should be the only study of a prince". He should consider peace only as a breathing  time, which gives him leisure to contrive, and furnishes as ability to execute, military plans. Hitler had caused many wars in Europe before World War Two between the alliances and other European countries regarding land and territories. As long as Hitler did not accomplish what his goal was, then he would be in constant war with another nation, and yes he did consider peace only as a breathing time as he always had violence occur between the people and nations. He would always be making up military plans such as when he wanted to invade parts of Russia and other small nation states which relates with Machiavelli's quote mentioned above. Also, Hitler always had himself armed by security and weapons; Machiavelli also believes that one can only be victorious if he himself is well-equiped with weapons and confidence.


"Hence it comes about that all armed Prophets have been victorious, and all unarmed Prophets have been destroyed." - says Machiavelli from The Prince

      Machiavelli wrote in The Prince that one can do anything to achieve his political goals, relating back to Hitlers political goals of killing each and every Jew there was in Germany and most of Europe. Hitler had gone to such an extent to achieve his political goal that he had the holocaust occur, killing over six million Jews in a variety of concentration camps, slavery and hunger. Hitler supports Machiavelli's idea of doing anything to achieve one's political goals setting Machiavelli to be a role model for these types of rulers and dictators.


"It is necessary for him who lays out a state and arranges laws for it to presuppose that all men are evil and that they are always going to act according to the wickedness of their spirits whenever they have free scope." - Machiavelli states from The Prince

       Hitler is a modern-day example of a Machiavellian prince as he followed most of Machiavelli's ideas and supports many of the ideas written in The Prince. As Machiavelli would say, one was not born to power, he seized and kept it as the only way to keep power if you are not born to it was to keep it through bloody means; all of which Hitler had committed and did it successfully. Hitler kept his position in dominant power and ruled for years and did anything to keep this ruling power, which is why he is a great example of a Machiavellian prince.