Unrest in Egypt

[Hopkinja]

Re: Unrest in Egypt

There is no sugestion about it, he was the guy.

I don't forsee the Egyptian Intellectuals making the same mistake the Iranians did. I would say the chances are 1 in 4 that Muslim Brotherhood gets power and goes Ayatollah on the people's arses.

While I also like the turn of phrase, the Muslim brotherhood will not go Ayatollah. They aren't that extreme. That's a view that Mubarak and his western backers (CIA?) want to foster to keep them outlawed and himself in power. But they're probably closer to the religious party that runs Turkey right now rather than the Iranian extremists. And I think they're smart enough to know that if they go full-on Islamofascist, the tourist dollars disappear and the country goes in the toilet completely.

 

[JF_Gophers]

Re: Unrest in Egypt

Is it wrong that I care more about what happens to the already dead Egyptians than what happens to the living ones during this unrest?

 

[goldy_331]

Re: Unrest in Egypt

Aint nothin' compared to Saudi, though. Those people are sowed up tight until the last drop is gone -- fifteen minutes after that it's anybody's ballgame.

I thought swine were unclean to these people so there would be no sows in Saudi.

 

[Kepler]

Re: Unrest in Egypt

I thought swine were unclean to these people so there would be no sows in Saudi.

Nicely done.

 

[Kepler]

Re: Unrest in Egypt

It does have a nice ring to it

My uncle just read a book about the revolution in Iran...I forget the name but it was written by the wife of one of the guys involved and he has apparently been depressed ever since because they let the Ayatollah steal their revolt. I plan to read it soon.

If a theocratic leader took power in Egypt I would hate to see the outcome for the people. They are poor as dirt now and that is WITH all the tourism dollars, if those dry up there will be zero middle class or even an upper level of poverty...it will just be full on third world.

Have you read Persepolis? Fascinating and very well drawn / written.

 

[Kepler]

Re: Unrest in Egypt

While I also like the turn of phrase, the Muslim brotherhood will not go Ayatollah. They aren't that extreme. That's a view that Mubarak and his western backers (CIA?) want to foster to keep them outlawed and himself in power. But they're probably closer to the religious party that runs Turkey right now rather than the Iranian extremists. And I think they're smart enough to know that if they go full-on Islamofascist, the tourist dollars disappear and the country goes in the toilet completely.

They are probably no more monolithic than our political parties. That means there probably really are crazies among them who are full-on Islamofascist, and those are the ones Mubarak, the Israeli right, and our own military industrial complex always put front and center to scare everybody back into the arms of the dictatorship. That's the way it was with the Shah, and by listening to the people with that agenda we wound up with the radicals actually taking power rather than withdrawing support from the Shah long before and encouraging real democracy.

Hopefully we learned something from that tragedy and will ignore the dwindling number of radicals with the Neoconservative mindset this time around, even though they have a 24/7 megaphone on the usual media outlets. They were just responsible for one of the worst foreign policy disasters in American history, so their credibility is at an all-time low outside the Echo Chamber. The smartest conservatives have had quite enough of them.

Steve Benen had the line of the week about it all:

In the case of U.S. policy towards Egypt, the dynamic is well beyond left vs. right. Instead we're seeing (a) those in the U.S. who support the protesters, their calls for sweeping democratic reforms, and Mubarak's ouster; (b) those who support Mubarak and fear his unknown replacement; and (c) those who believe caliphates run by zombie Islamists, the Illuminati, and the Loch Ness Monster are coming to steal your car.

 

[Handyman]

Re: Unrest in Egypt

Have you read Persepolis? Fascinating and very well drawn / written.

No but I will order it now

 

[aparch]

Re: Unrest in Egypt

Seems to be quietly expanding. Just saw an MSNBC article saying that the unrest in conditions has spread to the middle and southern reaches of Egypt.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41486277/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa/

Haven't checked to the AJE yet.

I also saw an interesting article (either from MSNBC or Newsweek) that said that al-Qaeda has been oddly silent about the revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia since the non-violent revolution is actually working faster and better than their methods.

 

[Kepler]

Re: Unrest in Egypt

I also saw an interesting article (either from MSNBC or Newsweek) that said that al-Qaeda has been oddly silent about the revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia since the non-violent revolution is actually working faster and better than their methods.

They're trying to get in under the wire.

This is of course exactly what the Neocons want. Those two are each other's oxygen supply -- stamping out one is going to entail stamping out both.

 

[aparch]

Re: Unrest in Egypt

They're trying to get in under the wire.

This is of course exactly what the Neocons want. Those two are each other's oxygen supply -- stamping out one is going to entail stamping out both.

From the link I caught this:

... and “for every Muslim who was touched by the oppression of the tyrant of Egypt and his masters in Washington and Tel Aviv,” read a translation of the text provided by the SITE Intelligence Group.

Last I checked, didn't the VP of Egypt admit that he's ignored every bit of advice given from the United States regarding how to give up quick? And wasn't Mubarak one of our "allies?"

Someone needs to go re-read their rock-tablet newspapers, or just go back to hiding in a cave.



What I did find funny from the Al-Qaeda article, was that the "Muslim Brotherhood" that is in the background of the Egypt proceedings originally kicked Osama Bin Laden out for being too violent in his actions.

Ooooh, found the story:
http://openchannel.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/02/09/6014280-does-egypt-make-al-qaida-irrelevant

Two weeks into the Egyptian revolution, there’s been no communiqué, no message from the hills of the Pakistani hinterland. Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri have been notably silent.

For years, the two have regularly spoken in audio and video messages about events and trends in the Muslim World, attempting to continue their legacy as leaders of radical Islam. Now with Egypt, al-Zawahiri’s home turf, in turmoil, shouldn’t they have issued something?

An al-Zawahiri aide did release a statement last weekend but it was short and not broadcast. Moreover, the deputy, Thirwat Shehata, was forced to admit that his and al-Zawahiri’s Egyptian Islamic Jihad have had no role in the uprising. “Indeed, the Pharaoh and his rotten party must depart, ” Shehata’s statement said.

But Shehata is not al-Zawahiri or bin Laden, NBC News analyst and former NSC official Roger Cressey said, adding that without something directly from them, the two “are in danger of becoming the ‘emperors with no clothes’.” Moreover, the lack of an al-Qaida role or even a message was undercutting their influence.

 

[bigmrg74]

Re: Unrest in Egypt

From the link I caught this:


Last I checked, didn't the VP of Egypt admit that he's ignored every bit of advice given from the United States regarding how to give up quick? And wasn't Mubarak one of our "allies?"

Someone needs to go re-read their rock-tablet newspapers, or just go back to hiding in a cave.



What I did find funny from the Al-Qaeda article, was that the "Muslim Brotherhood" that is in the background of the Egypt proceedings originally kicked Osama Bin Laden out for being too violent in his actions.

Ooooh, found the story:
http://openchannel.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/02/09/6014280-does-egypt-make-al-qaida-irrelevant

Good find there Aparch.

Yeah, a peaceful regime chance in Egypt would really strike a blow to Al Qaeda. Just sit there with enough of others and say that you're sick and tired of putting up with the same old Shibby, and you're not going to take it anymore. Sure sounds a lot better to me than just strapping on a vest to have your balls blown to 4 different directions.

 

[WeWantMore]

Re: Unrest in Egypt

Mubarak is giving a speech tonight, speculation this might finally be the end of the line.

 

[Kepler]

Re: Unrest in Egypt

Someone needs to go re-read their rock-tablet newspapers

There's a really good Flintstones image in there somewhere.

 

[Kepler]

Re: Unrest in Egypt

Mubarak is giving a speech tonight, speculation this might finally be the end of the line.

AJE just announced that the NDP says Mubarak will in fact step down tonight and hand power not to Suleiman but directly to the military.

It will still be a military regime, but if nothing else what a positive precedent for the Arab world securing a measure of liberation despite all the secret police, military, religious fundamentalist, reactionary armchair "real politik" and global financial forces against them.

Only the beginning. They are not close to "a republic, if you can keep it" yet. But, a little closer.

 

[aparch]

Re: Unrest in Egypt

AJE just announced that the NDP says Mubarak will in fact step down tonight and hand power not to Suleiman but directly to the military.

Ho. Ly. Sh**. Wow.


And the kicker? President Obama is currently on Air Force One enroute to BFE Michigan (to my Alma Mater) to discuss the local economy and the University's investment into WiMax (4G to the rest of the civilized United States, only NMU's had it for about five years). There may suddenly be a huge interest by the media about Obama's trip just to get a sound byte about Egypt.

 

[bigmrg74]

Ho. Ly. Sh**. Wow.


And the kicker? President Obama is currently on Air Force One enroute to BFE Michigan (to my Alma Mater) to discuss the local economy and the University's investment into WiMax (4G to the rest of the civilized United States, only NMU's had it for about five years). There may suddenly be a huge interest by the media about Obama's trip just to get a sound byte about Egypt.

Yeah, you would have to think the local news stations there are going to love that today. They'll likely to be the the ones to ask the questions that will be on the network news today.

 

[aparch]

Re: Unrest in Egypt

Yeah, you would have to think the local news stations there are going to love that today. They'll likely to be the the ones to ask the questions that will be on the network news today.

Which sort of scares me, because it's the local NBC failure doing the majority of TV production today.

 

[5mn_Major]

Re: Unrest in Egypt

AJE just announced that the NDP says Mubarak will in fact step down tonight and hand power not to Suleiman but directly to the military.

It will still be a military regime, but if nothing else what a positive precedent for the Arab world securing a measure of liberation despite all the secret police, military, religious fundamentalist, reactionary armchair "real politik" and global financial forces against them.

Only the beginning. They are not close to "a republic, if you can keep it" yet. But, a little closer.

Ya, was kind of wondering about this. US gives massive aid directly to Egypts military and the head of the Egyptian military is in the US at the beginning of the crisis. The Egyptian military does not overtly support Mubarak from day one. Maybe our gazillions of dollars help buy regime change. Even so, I wish we'd stop with the foriegn aid already!

 

[aparch]

Re: Unrest in Egypt

Even so, I wish we'd stop with the foriegn aid already!

I wish we'd stop ALL foreign aid foremost. We have way too many problems in this country to go being charitable to other nations first.

 

[Kepler]

Re: Unrest in Egypt

Ya, was kind of wondering about this. US gives massive aid directly to Egypts military and the head of the Egyptian military is in the US at the beginning of the crisis. The Egyptian military does not overtly support Mubarak from day one. Maybe our gazillions of dollars help buy regime change. Even so, I wish we'd stop with the foriegn aid already!

It's a lot cheaper than boots on the ground. If only we had just bribed Saddam. You have to remember it isn't charity, it's hard-nosed self-interest.

The important thing to remember is the moment they become a liability you move on. "It's nothing personal, Sonny. It's just business."