Just how much thought?

I recently discovered a friend had been wondering why I haven't been talking about what's going on in Egypt these days, seeing as how I don't typically hold back on discussions of note.  The truth is, I really don't know a whole heck of a lot about Egypt and didn't feel I had anything worthwhile to contribute.  I do have a lot of questions, but in seeking answers, I have instead been finding far more questions.

Just as an example.  I keep hearing that these protests are all about Egyptians wanting freedom and democracy, and that Mubarak is a horrible dictator that needs to be ousted.  If this is true, why is it that, in a country of some 80 million people, a huge deal is made out of protests that number in the hundreds of thousands across the country (a single demonstration on Capitol Hill often exceeds those numbers)?  Even at the height of these demonstrations, the largest number I'd seen was one million protesters.  That leave 79 million who aren't, with many of those barricading themselves to protect themselves from the protesters.  There could be a lot of reasons for people to stay home.  It just strikes me as curious that such a big deal is being made of such relatively low numbers of protesters, while (again, just for example) the media consistently derided the Beck rally for being "only" a few thousand people, reducing the numbers from the estimates of 300-350 thousand attendees.  The annual March(es) for Life consistently involves hundreds of thousands of people, yet the media barely even mentions them.  A curious double standard.

Meanwhile, if Egyptians are wanting to oust a dictatorship and instill democracy, why are so many of them carrying images of a past dictator?  If it's about freedom, why do so many want Sharia law?  What is the real motivation when I read so many protesters quoted about how Mubarak has made them a "slave to Israel" or hold signs with Stars of David drawn on Mubarak's face?  What role is the Muslim Brotherhood, which seems to be the only group in the wings powerful enough to fill the Mubarak power void and its openly stated desire to eliminate Israel and all Jews, playing in all this?

I could go on.  Lots of questions.  Few answers that satisfy.

What gets me, however, is how many people are not just expressing support of Egyptian protesters, but wishing for the same for of thing in their own countries.  Just how much thought did they put into their statements?  Just as one example:

If we could all just get up enough gumption like the Egyptians... maybe we could change a few things around here....Monsanto....tar sands.....food parity.....child poverty... poverty at all..... I go on and on.....

Now, the person who wrote this isn't one who normally blathers on mindlessly like so many I see, so it seems completely out of character for her to write this.  The only responses she got to this were the online equivalent of people sitting over their cups of organic fair trade caffeine free hot beverages, sagely nodding their heads over the wisdom of one of their own.  Me, I was just perplexed.

Is this person actually equating our Canadian democratically elected government with a 30 year dictatorship?  Does she really think that, if only we were all brave enough, we should all be rampaging violently through the streets, burning, stoning, and killing?  Does this person really think we should be doing this over things like a company or oil?

Let's say we actually did what this person wanted.  We all had ourselves a grand revolution.  Then, after we've buried our dead, bandaged our wounds, replaced our burned out cars, homes and businesses, and got on with our lives, how would this actually fix the issues she brought up?  How would this solve food parity?  End poverty?

Somehow, I don't think she or the people agreeing with her or saying we, too, should have a revolution, have spent much time thinking through what they're actually saying.