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Unrest in Egypt

  • Thread starter Thread starter Priceless
  • Start date Start date
Re: Unrest in Egypt

NMU8405 said:
I wish they would move the camera back down onto the highway :(
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Like that?

This is going to end poorly. The tank fire, the automatic gunfire, the molotovs you can see streaming across the screen. It's surreal. Holy ****. This gun fire is insane.
 
Re: Unrest in Egypt

State Department saying that further delay in getting out of the country for US citizens is "not advisable".
 
Re: Unrest in Egypt

AJE has been superior in that they have hundreds of people in the streets calling in via cell and then a "host" asking some questions and then moving on -- it's basically CSPAN. The street is directing the coverage and the dialog there. When you take a break and watch any of the US networks the striking thing is that there's an anchor who interprets the footage for you with assistance from more or less ding batty "senior experts." The news is given at least one full washing before being passed on to the American audience. Whatever the reason (corporatist bias, dumbing down for our audience, Americans not really giving a shit about brown people getting shot at unless it's Arizona) it's a dramatic difference between seeing something happen and hearing some dumbass journalism graduate or political hack drag in his favorite prefab narrative.
 
Re: Unrest in Egypt

Kepler said:
AJE has been superior in that they have hundreds of people in the streets calling in via cell and then a "host" asking some questions and then moving on -- it's basically CSPAN. The street is directing the coverage and the dialog there. When you take a break and watch any of the US networks the striking thing is that there's an anchor who interprets the footage for you with assistance from more or less ding batty "senior experts." The news is given at least one full washing before being passed on to the American audience. Whatever the reason (corporatist bias, dumbing down for our audience, Americans not really giving a shit about brown people getting shot at unless it's Arizona) it's a dramatic difference between seeing something happen and hearing some dumbass journalism graduate or political hack drag in his favorite prefab narrative.
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This is a spot-on analysis. I've had the Al Jazeera feed banging away for three days now and have been highly impressed, even moreso than I was before. In a vein flowing with far less gravity, your comparison somewhat reminds me of a former roommate of mine from the Netherlands who was astonished with the coverage here of the 2008 Summer Olympics: "All they do is talk. They don't show us anything and don't tell us anything about what's going on. When they do it's only about America."

He was a big pro-America guy, too, but your comments made me think of that.

All that aside, considering the current situation I wonder if this will subdue itself or whether some faction of the previously highly-peaceful anti crowd will realize there is no time like the present and conclude they have no option but to fight fire with fire. I suspect at this point it's either going to be massive escalation or this will fade into oblivion within a week. My money is on the latter.

Edit: I would suspect the reason for the difference in coverage between the American outlets and some of the others is simply dumbing it down for the audience - or a cultural thing - which may just be the same things.
 
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Re: Unrest in Egypt

I agree withthe guy from NDR. People here do not really want to have to care about anything across the ocean. AJE is disturbing to watch. Great covg.
 
Re: Unrest in Egypt

XYZ said:
Edit: I would suspect the reason for the difference in coverage between the American outlets and some of the others is simply dumbing it down for the audience - or a cultural thing - which may just be the same things.
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The rest of the world: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
For American children: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Everything has to be dumbed down here, from children's literature to the evening news.

Updates:
The Egyptian PM apologized for the violence and said ordered an investigation into the deaths of the five protesters. If he's serious, he can start by questioning his boss. Somehow I doubt he's serious.
The pro-Mubarak forces are reportedly regrouping around Cairo and preparing for another attack. The pro-Democracy protesters have set up new barricades and are bracing for the attacks.
The pro-Democracy protesters aren't going to leave the Square until either they are dead or Mubarak is gone. One person put it eloquently: "We know that as soon as we left the Square and went home they would start hunting us one by one." They will stay and either win or die.

MSNBC
CNN
BBC
AlJazeera English

Edit:
It has begun
Confirmed: Hisham Mubarak Law center is being attacked right now. The center is an active supporter of human rights
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Friend was trying to deliver medical supplies, they smashed his car and he had to turn & run away
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Egyptian army tank, personnel push Mubarak loyalists away from Cairo protest group - Reuters
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LPC Sarah Rifky from #Tahrir: American University in Cairo Prof. Hamam Iman intercepted, assaulted in car on her way to sq. Other Incidents.
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LPC Sarah Rifky from #Tahrir: Interceptions of people traveling to demonstrations throughout #Cairo. Assaults, mobiles confiscated.
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Journos are disappearing. Heard from a reliable source that many are taken to Mokhayam Al dayem st near manassa (War memorial) in nasr city.
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Edit2:
Confirmed by @RamyYaacoub and @SultanAlQassemi that @Sandmonkey has been arrested.
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SultanAlQassemi @monaeltahawy tweet from @RamyYaacoub that @Sandmonkey arrested, his dad called his phone & state security answered.
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Re: Unrest in Egypt

Priceless said:
One person put it eloquently: "We know that as soon as we left the Square and went home they would start hunting us one by one." They will stay and either win or die.
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That woman brought it all home. Again and again there have been statements by ordinary people who could easily be you or me facing such absolute stark choices. I have no idea whether I'd have the same courage in their situation. It is always tempting and practical to compromise or "give it a chance to play out," and in all honesty 9 times out of 10 that's probably the best thing to do, particularly when you have personal responsibilities to family. But the dilemma is, if everyone always does that, nothing ever changes, and the forces of evil win.

It reminds me of Kenneth Clark's comment on the doomed artists of the 19th century. "Lives devoted to the ideal of Beauty seldom end well."
 
Re: Unrest in Egypt

bronconick said:
http://mideast.foreignpolicy.com/po...ver_the_chance_for_democracy_in_egypt_is_lost

Interesting take.
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Good find. One sentence (which is an important part of the argument) confuses me:

In the meantime the regime used the opportunity to place the military in more direct control of the government
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Since the author's contention is the real power is the military which will not countenance a civilian challenge, doesn't that imply the military is already in direct control of the government?
 
Re: Unrest in Egypt

Very interesting change reported on BBC. The Brits have flights set aside for any British citizen to get out, and whereas in the last days it has been tourists, it is now more and more long-time expat residents.
 
Re: Unrest in Egypt

The army is detaining journalists. For their own safety, the army says, but they have seized cameras and flash cards (anything that could record what is happening). If the live feeds from the balconies overlooking the Square suddenly go dark we know what is next.
 
Re: Unrest in Egypt

Surreal presser from the PM saying Egypt's "heart is hurt" by the violence. "We are all traumatized and saddened by last night's attacks." "Your winnings sir?"
 
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