'Dear Ahmed, don't shoot your Cousin.' love, Mum.

Mubarak Minor! You've let the Egyptian people down. You've let the army down. But most of all you've let yourself down, And out.
Hosni Mubarak has just finished giving the same speech to an expectant Egyptian nation that he gave two weeks ago, only even more sickeningly insulting and mawkish. The people, and the US government, were confidently expecting him to go, but he is staying on to further insult the people. The result is more Rage than ever, and tomorrow will see the biggest and angriest crowds so far. Either Mubarak has betrayed the army, who leaned on him this afternoon and assured the people that tonight would be the night, or the army has betrayed the people, which is much more serious.
But tomorrow's confrontation should not see the army firing on the crowd. Not because of the celebrated links between Egyptian and US generals, but because of the links between Egyptian army footsoldiers and the footsoldiers of the revolution. This is a conscript army. Many of the boys in tanks and troops carriers will have relatives and friends among the demonstrators. Many might well have mothers writing to them. 'Dear Ahmed, your cousin Abdul is in the square tomorrow, make sure you don't shoot him.'
Mubarak (and most of the western media) seem to have forgotten that conscript armies hardly ever attack their own people. They have also forgotten that a revolution is just a form of strike action. And that these are just some of the weapons available now for reducing dictatorships to ashes. Mubarak is clinging on through geriatric ignorance and cunning. But his days are numbered. The Egyptian people knew that all along, in the face of extreme Lily Livered Poltroonism from the western media. And they know that the quickest way to get back to their jobs and families is to get rid of Mubarak as soon as possible. So they have the strength of their belief, and joy in their destiny, and will win. What they do then is their privilege.