with a lost look on his face
There ain't no fields to plow
No reason to now
He's just a little out of place
Wooo! I'm finally at the last post of this series. This was a much bigger undertaking than I had anticipated and I am excited to get back to the main focus of this blog; traveling. What's going on in the Middle East right now is fascinating and I read about it everyday, but trying to blog about it and inform people without too much of a bias has been quite difficult(yes I know that everything I posted has still been biased, I can only do so much). This final post is about Morocco. There is absolutely no revolution going on in Morocco, but there have been protests. Let me explain.
Morocco's government is a constitutional monarchy. It has an elected parliament, but the king, currently King Mohammed VI fondly known as M6 in our apartment, has a large amount of power. Overall, Moroccans enjoy many more freedoms then their counterparts in the rest of the Middle East and North Africa. They already have the right to protest even if it is somewhat limited(no bad mouthing M6).
They say crime don't pay
But neither does farmin' these days
And the coffee is cold
And he's fifty years old
And he's got to learn to live some other way
Morocco has a very large number of degree holders and a very large unemployment rate. This is not a good combination. People are poor, jobless, and hungry and they want the government to create more jobs. Now, I know you're thinking, don't we all. The US is having just as much trouble with unemployment and job creation. Here is why Morocco is different; almost all industry, big business, education and the other major job sectors are government run. There is very little privatization(public ownership) of business. So the government is literally responsibly for creating jobs. The men, literally, sit around in cafes all day drinking coffee and watching the world go by because they have nothing else to do. It is not uncommon to see people sleeping outside during the day, not homeless people, just average people who decided to sit down and have a nap because they had nothing better to do. Getting a bachelor's degree is free so many young people go to universities not because there are any real job prospects but because there is nothing else to do.
There are also groups of people in Morocco who are pushing for more social rights. Women would like more rights in society and more equality. There is also a hint of Gay rights at the very fringes of society. Minority rights for the Berber populations are also an important issue as well as the Western Sahara Conflict. There are many more small factions, political, and social groups that want more rights and freedoms. While it is wonderful that these groups have the opportunity to voice their opinions, it is difficult to institute any actual change. The king and the government hear only chaos and noise because the groups have not banded together and created an actual agenda for change.
They say crime don't pay
But neither does farmin' these days
And the coffee is cold
And he's fifty years old
And he's got to learn to live some other way
And the coffee is cold
And he's fifty years old
And he's got to learn to live some other way
Moroccan Monarch Pledges Reform
King Mohammed VI gave a speech on May 6th in response to a day of protest on February 20th. In an unprecedented move, the king announced that he was appointing a commission to redo the constitution. He told the people that they have until June to organize their thoughts and to express their wishes for change to these commission members. In June, the commission will then remake the constitution based on the input of the people that contacted them. The flip-side to this is that the commission is going to redo the constitution even if they receive no valuable input from the population. In this instance, a few small reforms may be made, but the rest will likely stay the same. The king has put the ball back in the people's court and is asking them to organize and take responsibility for their future.
Just from my experience here, the culture tends to procrastination and to just hoping that things will change on their own. I find the king's plan very commendable. I believe that if the people here are really unhappy then they need to do something about it. I don't think its fair or effective to shout about change without a definition of what that change should be. Hopefully, this will encourage the people to take charge because they now know that someone is listening and that what they say can make a difference.
At the cafe down on the corner
With a lost look on his face
There ain't no fields to plow
He's busin' tables now
He's just a little out of place
When there are protests in Morocco, the police come out and monitor the situation. They usually do nothing more than make sure it stays calm and controlled. However there have been instances when protesters have been met with police violence. This is largely because of the lack of organized leadership within the police force. The entire system is corrupt with bribery and nepotism. This leaves the lower level police men with a lot of decision making to do on issues that should be dealt with as an entire force not on an individual basis. This is something that will hopefully be addressed after the revamped constitution is instituted and power can be reassigned.
Police Break Up Morocco Protest
This article talks about a very recent protest in Casablanca. Police responded violently and dozens were injured but there were no deaths. This is a very unusual occurring. The police normally just monitor and maintain control.
And the meek shall inherit the earth
And the bank shall repossess it
This job don't pay half what it's worth
But it's a thankful man that gets it
In addition to the protests going on in Morocco, the Moroccan people have many opinions about the revolutions going on in the rest of the Arab world. I have asked quite a few students and teachers at my university about their opinions of current affairs.
Most of the people I talk to have been very supportive of the uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen. They understand that they are blessed here in Morocco with the amount of civil rights they have and wish that the people in these other countries will one day be as lucky. They are very passionate about the removal of Gaddafi in Libya, more so than they seem to be about Yemen or Bahrain, possibly because of the proximity of Libya to Morocco.
At the cafe down on the corner
With a lost look on his face
There ain't no fields to plow
He's wishin' for one now
He's just a little out of place
One thing that students seem to have mixed views about is whether or not the Moroccan people should be protesting right now. Some say yes, the whole Arab world is demanding rights and freedoms and jobs and Morocco should join in even if it doesn't want a full revolution. Others say that this is just band-wagoning and that since Moroccans do not want regime change they should wait for a more appropriate time to protests; a time when Western media is not lurking around every corner to pressure those in power.
All these soldiers without wars
And hometown boys without a home
Farmers without fields
Dealers without deals
And they sit here drinking coffee all alone
As far as I'm concerned, it is a blessing that Morocco is as stable as it is. It may not make for exciting news, but I much prefer regular protests to full on revolution. It definitely has its problems, women's rights and unemployment are high on the list, but it is far ahead of its neighbors. If you are my friend on facebook or you follow me on twitter, you will have ample opportunity to keep up with news in the Middle East. I am constantly posting articles that I find interesting, so keep reading!
At the cafe down on the corner
With a lost look on their face
There ain't no fields to plow
They're wishin' for one now
They're just a little out of place
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