What if President Hosni Mubarak followed the events taking place in his country on TV and through the newspapers whose headlines he was accustomed to reading? What if he saw the live coverage from Tahrir Square and the plethora of experts and analysts talking on TV about turning the page in Egypt and the region and opening a new one? How difficult it is to sit alone while TV stations roar against you. It is no simple matter for the ruler of Egypt to leave the authority position with such a loud bang; to lose the power of decision, seals, and the right to reside in the palace and perhaps the country; to feel concerned about what this or that TV station might surprise him with, and even about the headlines of Al Ahram newspaper; to read calls for his trial; to see lawyers amuse themselves tomorrow with filing lawsuits against him or against members of his family or entourage; to have to ask for guarantees from those who used to rejoice at his mere welcome of them and their military salutes bursting with absolute allegiance. It is no simple matter for him to be called the former president by the official TV station – what a difficult word ‘former' is; to see another TV station talk about the deposed president – what a horrible word ‘deposed' is; to hear those who used to shower him with praise and talk about his courage, vision, wisdom, sacrifices, and role in increasing the importance of the country and the nation, talk today about his stubbornness, arrogance, mistakes, inability to get closer to the pulse of the street, and refusal to listen to the voice of the people. It is no simple matter for him to discover that those who used to ‘embroider' articles to promote his policy and achievements suddenly changed their ink and positions, and started to blame him, claiming that they made hints and sent him indications and signals which he ignored. It is no simple matter for him to see on TV men who rose in his shadow, enjoyed his protection, and whose roles and bank accounts grew with his consent, deny today words they had previously uttered or written, and wash their hands from his mandate, claiming they never took part in the mistakes, violations, or greediness. It is no simple matter for him to listen to some of those who defend today the respect of the constitution and the transfer of power, and to remember how they used to say before the end of each mandate that the country needs him today more than yesterday; that stability needs his firm grasp and supervision - or his son's if his are unavailable; that the constitution is no problem, as it was accustomed to bending; that the elections were no problem, as they constitute a smooth ride with pre-cooked results. How many times have they said that the people will be terribly worried if the reins were to be handed to an ordinary man with no history; to a civilian whose chest was not decorated with medals; and that the captain doesn't have the right to leave the ship; and that his destiny is to save it on a daily basis, and to leave the leadership position to the history pages. It is no simple matter for him to see those who were born during his mandate and grew up under his hanging portrait in schools and administrations, tearing his picture in Tahrir Square and demanding the fall of the one they call the oppressor and the dictator. Then they reject his initiatives and compromises and await the moment of his fall to start endless festivities. He closes his eyes. Who is this Wael Ghonim? Where was he during the War of Attrition? What did he do during the October War? What role did he play during The Crossing? If he was not yet born, did he not read in books about war and peace and about confronting extremists and terrorists? Would he have dared to go down to Tahrir Square if the [Islamic] groups had been in power? This is terrible, and reports did not anticipate it. Not one indication or insinuation. How deceitful reports are. How difficult advisors are. Not one of them said that times had changed, and that the new generals come from Facebook, not navy faculties. The advisor did not say that the people are deceitful.
