Unrest in Egypt

[Kepler]

Re: Unrest in Egypt

They've done a really good job on AJE -- it would be very interesting to know whether their domestic product is more anti-Israeli. Back here, where censorship is done the "democratic" way, by our corporations, AJE isn't carried by a lot of US cable systems in places that aren't hard to guess -- a hangover of the "we can't show Muslims being rational or it will undercut the Neocon narrative and confuse some of our wingnuts" days. It was lovingly apropros that yesterday the Egyptian government was encouraging viewers to turn off AJE and only watch its state TV service because it was, and I quote, "balanced and fair."

 

[Kepler]

Re: Unrest in Egypt

we could send a senator...

I remember seeing that bit live. I am old, old, old.

 

[5mn_Major]

Re: Unrest in Egypt

I think we should get rid of govt spending...who needs it!

Machetes, meat cleavers, axes: Cairo's new neighborhood watches
By Arwa Damon, CNN

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/01/31/cairo.scene.arwa/index.html?hpt=C1

 

[Kepler]

Re: Unrest in Egypt

Interesting table ranking how democratic the nations of the world are.

If you're scoring at home or even if you're alone, the worst authoritarian regimes in the region are (comparison US is the 17th-most democratic):

160. Saudi Arabia
158. Libya and Iran (tie)
152. Syria
148. UAE
146. Yemen
144. Tunisia
143. Oman
138. Egypt

 

[dxmnkd316]

Re: Unrest in Egypt

Get the foreigners out, shut down the Internet and clamp down again on cell phone networks...remove any witnesses. I have a very bad feeling about the million man march in Cairo tomorrow.

?

 

[Proud2baLaker]

Re: Unrest in Egypt

Google doing their best to help the people of Egypt communicate with the world. Apparently they have set up some numbers that they can call, leave a message and it will be converted to text and then posted on twitter. Dont know if it is working or not but it is an interesting move.

 

[dxmnkd316]

Re: Unrest in Egypt

Google doing their best to help the people of Egypt communicate with the world. Apparently they have set up some numbers that they can call, leave a message and it will be converted to text and then posted on twitter. Dont know if it is working or not but it is an interesting move.

This is one of those times I love Google (although they scare the hell out of me with all the info they harbor).

 

[Priceless]

Re: Unrest in Egypt

Best protest signs

The million man march is an hour or so away. I hope this doesn't turn into another Tienanmen Square. The pivotal moment may come if the protesters try to march to the palace. There are 20 military checkpoints between the Square and the palace.

Edit:

 

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

Re: Unrest in Egypt

I hope this doesn't turn into another Tienanmen Square.

Were you there? It never happened. All western propaganda!

RA my freshman year at Tech was from China - he insisted this was the case. You hear all about how this is a forbidden topic in China, but it's amazing to see the level of political indoctrination firsthand.

 

[Priceless]

Re: Unrest in Egypt

I like watching the live coverage, talking to some "expert" in DC, sitting across from the White House with the sun shining brightly.
At 2:45 in the morning.

Quite a crowd in the Square. The government is trying to make it hard (shutting down mass transit) but people are gathering.

 

[pardonme]

Re: Unrest in Egypt

There are a LOT of people in Tahrir Square right now.

 

[SteveP]

Re: Unrest in Egypt

A Leafs fan with nothing better to do before the golf season starts!

Nice find!

 

[Priceless]

Re: Unrest in Egypt

There are a LOT of people in Tahrir Square right now.

I've seen estimates of close to 2 million. They've run out of room in the square and crowds are gathering in the streets surrounding the square. The police are reportedly putting barbed wire around the palace to protect the president, but according to interviews with some of the protesters, they are going to stay in the square until Mubarak leaves. The military has arrested police and other "thugs" who were trying to infiltrate the protests. Protesters have set up a human chain around the perimeter and they are confiscating any weapons brought to the square...this will be a peaceful protest. Hopefully Mubarak leaves before he gets desperate and orders the military to open fire. He does have an actual legacy of which to be proud...every hour he remains tarnishes that legacy.

 

[LynahFan]

Re: Unrest in Egypt

they are going to stay in the square until Mubarak leaves

Someone on CNN just mentioned a protester's sign which reads, "Please leave, Mubarak - my arms are getting tired!"

Pretty funny.

Anderson Cooper just referred to it as a "revolution." First time I've heard that word used.

 

[Kepler]

Re: Unrest in Egypt

There are a LOT of people in Tahrir Square right now.

AJE stream caption says "more than one million" protesters "said to be" there.

People power, baby. The protesters have been amazingly organized, peaceful, and savvy (controlling for weapons and government agents provocateur). If they pull this off it will be one of the great revolutions in history. If it becomes violent, it could be one of the most horrific.

The more the protesters demonstrate their moral superiority in this way, the more the army will recognize that Mubarak is a dead letter now and it's in their own and their country's interests to refuse to suppress the people. There has to be a point when the army realizes that the longer this goes the greater the risk of violence. The people won't budge so the shortest distance to ending it would be for the army to carefully but forcibly remove the government.

It would be wonderful if a civil peaceful movement could force this change. What a tremendous blow to the message of the religious radicals that would be. And conversely, if a peaceful protest where the people do everything right fails, where else can they turn?

 

[bostonewe]

Re: Unrest in Egypt

Someone on CNN just mentioned a protester's sign which reads, "Please leave, Mubarak - my arms are getting tired!"

Pretty funny.

Anderson Cooper just referred to it as a "revolution." First time I've heard that word used.

I wish people would continue to use "revolution" instead of "crisis". At the gym this morning there were 4 tvs reporting about the "Crisis in Egypt". A mostly peaceful revolution to overthrow a dictatorial government...hardly a crisis... Is it a place I'd want to travel this minute? No. But it's hardly Iraq or Afghanistan or Haiti or Australia.

 

[Kepler]

Re: Unrest in Egypt

I wish people would continue to use "revolution" instead of "crisis". At the gym this morning there were 4 tvs reporting about the "Crisis in Egypt". A mostly peaceful revolution to overthrow a dictatorial government...hardly a crisis... Is it a place I'd want to travel this minute? No. But it's hardly Iraq or Afghanistan or Haiti or Australia.

I guess if they wanted to play it down the middle they could say "uprising." But it seems pretty clear that would be false equivalency -- as of now, there is a clear ethical choice. The only qualm is whether a true revolutionary change would lead to chaos and widespread misery, but at the end of the day, that has to be their choice and they appear to be willing to take the risk.

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: Unrest in Egypt

I wish people would continue to use "revolution" instead of "crisis". At the gym this morning there were 4 tvs reporting about the "Crisis in Egypt". A mostly peaceful revolution to overthrow a dictatorial government...hardly a crisis... Is it a place I'd want to travel this minute? No. But it's hardly Iraq or Afghanistan or Haiti or Australia.

Pretty sure I'd rather be in Australia than Cairo right now.

 

[Kepler]

Re: Unrest in Egypt

Pretty sure I'd rather be in Australia than Cairo right now.

He meant the flood, but it threw me, too.

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: Unrest in Egypt

He meant the flood, but it threw me, too.

You can ride out a flood in a boat!