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Rank: Advanced Wordsmith
Joined: 11/28/2008
Posts: 2,594
Location: Newcastle, United Kingdom
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I am not sure if I have a specific question, but have been following everything that is going on in Egypt, and watching http://english.aljazeera.net/watch_now/ I don't remember Tunisia really being brought up, so thought I would brink up Egypt, the protests, and everything surrounding it. What do you all think?
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Rank: Thread Mediator
Joined: 9/25/2009
Posts: 4,086
Location: United States
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I think- good for the Egyptian people! And its so good to see that their dictator's 'fire the government' stunt not only didn't quell the people, it made the protesting even more intense.
What's funny is watching Obama do everything in his power to not publicly take sides. After all, the US has supported this dictator for decades because he wasn't an Islamic fundamentalist and was willing to be a steadfast pawn for the US interests in the region, yet how can Mr. Democracy Lover (just like our last president) come out against the masses that demand democracy? The US government doesn't want the guy out of power, because whatever government the people form will not be so blindly loyal to the US, and why should they be?
Also, it's so islamophobic for people to act like the only realistic outcome once the dictator is gone is an Islamic Fundamentalist America-hating government, yet that's what you hear and read an awful lot of in the reporting of this crisis. I would love for a progressive democracy to emerge, just to expose our attitudes for what they often are: ignorant, and based on our fears of other cultures, not the evidence.
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Rank: Forum Guru
Joined: 10/27/2009
Posts: 1,275
Location: United States
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Obama has said too much already. His best course of action from the beginning would to have just stayed out of it. He can't offend the ruling party. If Mubarak is able to stay in power then we lose an ally in the Middle East. An ally of controversy, but an ally none the less. Despite our feelings towards the man, Mubarak has done his best in helping keep the peace with Israel and its neighbors. Thus a loss of him as an ally would not be a good thing.
On the other hand If Mubarak loses his presidential status, as he should in my opinion, then Obama can't afford to offend the protesters. If they feel that a democratic president is putting down their rebellion then why would they choose to have a democratic form of government? And if they do take power then why would they be our allies?
So the best thing would do is to wait it out and see the outcome. Until then Obama should just keep his mouth shut about the situation. Some things can not be unsaid.
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Rank: Thread Mediator
Joined: 9/25/2009
Posts: 4,086
Location: United States
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Jillicious wrote:Obama has said too much already. . I think I agree, though it looks stupid for him to 'no comment' his way through a significant world event. Jillicious wrote: If they feel that a democratic president is putting down their rebellion then why would they choose to have a democratic form of government? Except for the fact that he's not really a democratic president. To recap, We (the US) will move heaven and earth for "freedom" as long as it suits the interests of the government. If not, "dictator it up", we say (behind closed doors). Love this country. 
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Rank: Alpha Blonde
Joined: 2/17/2010
Posts: 4,371
Location: In your dirty fantasies
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I love the concept of the common people overthrowing such an established regime in such a unified way. There is no doubt that Mubarak is finished. He's already appointed a vice president for the first time in 30 years in preparation. The protests just continue to rally power, and I think they are well past the 'tipping point'. I can't see them backing down or settling for a 'modified version' of the current government. I heard that the main incentive for this was because of the recent protests in Tunisia to overthrow the government. I do love the inspiring notion of the people rising up. It's so rare to see it on this kind of scale.
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Rank: Forum Guru
Joined: 5/27/2010
Posts: 905
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I pray for peace and true democracy for the Egyptian people, and futiley hope not another life is lost.
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Rank: Rookie Scribe
Joined: 1/29/2011
Posts: 4
Location: Denver
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Hope my Egyptian friends are ok. It's gotta be tough living in the Middle East while it is in the beginning of a cultural revolution.
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Rank: Forum Guru
Joined: 8/8/2010
Posts: 640
Location: Dade City , Florida, United States
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It's kind of scary in a way, because we really don't know what we are going to wind up with in the end. It is amazing what Facebook and twitter can do though.
Well that's just my opinion, sorry if you don't like.
BigDaddyRich
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Rank: Forum Guru
Joined: 10/16/2008
Posts: 1,026
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Was reading about this today, and while it is an extremely tense situation, this little bit of news made me smile: Quote:In a geopolitical shift, even Iraq decided it would evacuate its citizens, sending three planes to Egypt — including the prime minister's plane — to bring home for free all those who wish to return. Thousands of Iraqis had once fled to Egypt to escape the violence in their own country. Does this mean Iraq is ok now, or is it an example of just how bad people expect the situation in Egypt to get? Hard to tell people things are ok in your country when people would rather go TO Iraq than stay in it. http://news.ca.msn.com/world/cp-article.aspx?cp-documentid=27482909
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Rank: Lurker
Joined: 11/30/2006
Posts: 327,241
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I think it's good news. First Tunisia, now Egypt, it seems democracy wins a battle against dictatorship.
What I find surreal is all this talk about Israel being worried, because the Egyptian geezer was an ally, and they now fear "unstability" in the area. Why should anyone give a hoot about what the Israeli goverment thinks about it? If they want stability they should stop killing each other, and only then they could worry about their neighbors.
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Rank: Thread Mediator
Joined: 9/25/2009
Posts: 4,086
Location: United States
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javier wrote:I think it's good news. First Tunisia, now Egypt, it seems democracy wins a battle against dictatorship.
What I find surreal is all this talk about Israel being worried, because the Egyptian geezer was an ally, and they now fear "unstability" in the area. Why should anyone give a hoot about what the Israeli goverment thinks about it? If they want stability they should stop killing each other, and only then they could worry about their neighbors. Well Israel is worried for obvious reasons. Apparently the US backs up the truckload of cash every year to Egypt in return for their honoring a commitment to recognize Israel and provide pressure for the rest of the region to deal peacefully with them. The next government may not honor that deal, since- if you haven't heard- Jewish people aren't real popular in that neck of the woods. But I know what you're saying. It's not like Israel is the only one affected. And by the coverage here, you'd think the most important effects were on the US, not the actual people demonstrating for their freedom and opportunity. All the headlines are "What does this mean for America??" So self-centered LOL. I know it's a big issue, mainly all that arab oil that passes through the canal every day, but so much of the media seems concerned with what it means to mini-van drivers in Oklahoma more so than young educated Egyptians fighting for their future...you know, since we're an 'exceptional' country. Of course I hope that extremists don't take this opportunity to seize control and turn Egypt into a rogue state, but I have some optimism that even if it happened at first, that it wouldn't last. That despite all of America's Islamophobia and our insistence on assuming that when it comes to Muslims all _______ are ______, that extreme religion's days are numbered. All these young people, with twitter, facebook, and every website on earth, they aren't going to fall for that stuff long term. They see the grass on the other side of the fence, and it looks pretty damn good. I see the King of Jordan has tried to stay ahead of the tide and 'fired the government', and by all accounts, this probably isn't the last domino to fall. Sitting in a restaurant here, I happened to see a clip of American reporters trying to bait protestors into saying that this was somehow about religion. As if everything has to be about Islam, because that seems to be the only way our bigoted culture can make sense of anything in the Arab world. I wish all the strength in the world to these people. May they get their wish, as long as its by majority vote. We can hope that whoever gains power will deal reasonably with us, but if we oppose it actively, I think its time for the US to drop this bullshit about freedom being the 'be all/end all' ideal. Obviously, we'd rather keep dictators in power if they serve 'our' interests. Saying otherwise just plays us for fools...which many are, since they still eat that rhetoric up as fast as they can have it fed to them. Freedom isn't free. It costs $1.05.
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Rank: Constant Gardener
Joined: 9/30/2009
Posts: 9,516
Location: Cakeland, United States
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Tunisia first, Egypt now...Next up: Wall Street'bout fcking time, too.
 The best thing you can do for your fellow,
next to rousing his conscience, is - not to give him things
to think about, but to wake things up that are in him...
to make him think things for himself - George MacDonald
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Rank: Constant Gardener
Joined: 9/30/2009
Posts: 9,516
Location: Cakeland, United States
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LadyX wrote:I think it's good news. First Tunisia, now Egypt, it seems democracy wins a battle against dictatorship.
All these young people, with twitter, facebook, and every website on earth, they aren't going to fall for that stuff long term.
They see the grass on the other side of the fence, and it looks pretty damn good.  Sometimes you can get yourself stuck, trying to reach that greener grass.
And then, those who come by to help you out... Well...perhaps they are there to help you, or perhaps they come to help themselves?
The best thing you can do for your fellow,
next to rousing his conscience, is - not to give him things
to think about, but to wake things up that are in him...
to make him think things for himself - George MacDonald
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Rank: Lurker
Joined: 11/30/2006
Posts: 327,241
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LadyX wrote:Well Israel is worried for obvious reasons. Apparently the US backs up the truckload of cash every year to Egypt in return for their honoring a commitment to recognize Israel and provide pressure for the rest of the region to deal peacefully with them. The next government may not honor that deal, since- if you haven't heard- Jewish people aren't real popular in that neck of the woods. I think the world sometimes forgets that there's other armed conflicts in the world, besides the Israeli-Palestinian, the average joe is really sick of that stuff. Anyway, the really good thing about the riots in Egypt and Jordania, is that proves that democracy is a universal goal. Some pleople blamed the USA for trying to impose democracy in other countries, like if democracy was just a marketing move, so they can sell more hamburguers and Holywood movies, or if democrcy was just a luxury for the Western World. Like suggesting there was cultures who can not handle freedom, and it's better keep them under control, like caged animals, and "dont try to impose them a democracy that they dont want, or havent asked for". Well, they asked for it now. And the second positive thing is that it will undermine the power of Al-Queda, and radical islamism in general. One of the main "reasons" those guys give to explain why they hate Western World, is that Western world oppress them. The USA imperialism, the capitalism, the Western media,etc...it always was somebody else's fault. But now what? The average Arab citizen can now blame their own leaders for their problems. The cause of their misery is no longer the Evil Empire, but Mubarak, Ben-Ali,etc, and all the leeches who have been robbing their own people for decades, and the people said "no more", loud a clear. So that's why I think everybody should support this revolution, and help as much as possible to turn those countries into democracies, so the USA could keep sending money to build schools and hospitals in Egypt instead of tanks and bombs.
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Rank: Forum Guru
Joined: 9/10/2010
Posts: 143
Location: Zef Side
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The only people who want Mubarak to stay are the Israelis... Oh and John Key if you're a extreme leftist in NZ. A country's government is a matter of the citizens and Mubarak has been there for 30 years. Therefore it is concerning (especially the Muslim community) that, as with Afghanistan, that the revolt is not so much aimed at the government itself but an attempt to create and unrest in order to shunt the current system out so that a radical Islamic movement can fill the vacuum. Ahmadinejad said himself, that he wants Israel wiped of the face of the Earth.
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Rank: Active Ink Slinger
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I am Egyptian guys and right now in the middle of all this, and I appreciate all the input, and interest, from your side. Thanks
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Rank: Alpha Blonde
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Rank: Rookie Scribe
Joined: 2/2/2011
Posts: 9
Location: Palestine Authority - West Bank
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Dancing_Doll wrote:Yes, but the car was stolen though. It wasn't being driven by diplomats or embassy staff. Still a truly horrific piece of news footage though... ehem .. why they didnt mention the car was stolen Before this video published online ?? no one can steal an embassy car .. the embassy protected more than mubarak him self ..
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Rank: Rookie Scribe
Joined: 2/2/2011
Posts: 9
Location: Palestine Authority - West Bank
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Quote:So that's why I think everybody should support this revolution, and help as much as possible to turn those countries into democracies, so the USA could keep sending money to build schools and hospitals in Egypt instead of tanks and bombs. there is a need for mubarak , for that USA is not goin to say any thing about askin him to leave , schools and etc is not egypt major problem , its the bribes and the emergency law , they can put to jail with no any clue , u will not get out from jail till u r a dead body , second thing egypt dont need money , mubarak and his family have the biggest fortune upon major people like bill gates its about 40 - 70 billion dollar , and his people live on a dollar per day or even less . isreal have mubarak as the best allied , and if he is gone it will be a major problem , Gaza is under siege coz mubarak is helping isreal on that .
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Rank: Rookie Scribe
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Location: Palestine Authority - West Bank
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this guy was killed in a cold blooded ..
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Rank: Lurker
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Posts: 327,241
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They made it, the guy is gone, a new victory for the people.
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Rank: Thread Mediator
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Great news ;). I'm happy for Egypt. It will be interesting to see what goes down now that he's gone away.
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It will certainly be very interesting for me Xuani
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http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703786804576137980252177072.htmlI've seen two interviews with this guy, one was just a moment ago on CBS, the whole story and his attitude is amazing.
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