Egypt

[Paul B]

Serious unrest going on there.
http://www.cnn.com/

 

[stehansen]

Those people have nothing to lose.

 

[Bounce]

Take away people's food and water and they will riot in the streets. But take away their internet and they start lighting themselves on fire!

 

[Blinky]

I could happen here. The problem is, no middle class. In Egypt either you're filthy, pointlessly rich or you live in poverty and have LOTS of time on your hands. That's the road we're on.

 

[HolmenTree]

My wife and I spent a whole month backpacking in Egypt in 2002 right after 911. Fascinating country and people. Alexandria, Cairo, Luxor,everyone should experience these beautiful cities.
We never felt unsafe, only had to get used to people asking us "where you from" We'd answer "Canada" they would reply "Canada Dry!!"
They have a overload of unemployed young men frustrated with no income many of them. All told never to group into more then 2, watched by AK47 armed soldiers on every street corner.
I hope they get everything straightened out , my wife, kids and I want to visit there again.

Willard.

 

[Paul B]

Supposedly Mubarek has said he has asked his cabinet to step down. To me that isnt the answer, HE seems to be the problem, so CNN tells me anyways.

 

[Blinky]

I was reading about ancient Alexandria recently... amazing history, even Rome acknowledged it was the greatest city in the world. Crazy bastards invented geometry and stuff.

 

[Paul B]

If the gov't doesn't get control of its citizens it of course could lead to problems with traveling the Suez canal. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-...speculation-egypt-unrest-to-disrupt-suez.html

 

[Al Smith]

"where you from" We'd answer "Canada" they would reply "Canada Dry!!"


Willard.

Now that is funny You should have replied "no .Canada has plenty whiskey ,good stuff too "

 

[Paul B]

interesting link prompted by the gov't shutting down the internet: http://howto.wired.com/wiki/Communicate_if_Your_Government_Shuts_Off_Your_Internet

 

[woodworkingboy]

Justified unrest is one thing, but when you see kids throwing rocks at army and police vehicles for the fun of it, it's not meaningful.

 

[sawinredneck]

I think it's pretty meaningful Jay, these people have had little to nothing for quite some time. Then the increase prices on water, food and fuel, as a tax to an already wealthy government.
The government shut down the internet in an attempt to stop the rioting, when that didn't work it made rally's illegal to try and contain these people.
It's rather disgusting, we deplore China and Korea for doing these same things to people, but it's ok in Egypt?

 

[woodworkingboy]

People is one thing, kids is another, especially when trying to do damage for fun. I don't think that children are sufficiently equipped to tell themselves whether they are justified in trying to hurt someone, as a rule. If it adds to the mass movement and some benefit arises, well, I guess it could be a good thing. Throwing rocks and stuff, then laughing about it, I dunno, it bothers me.

 

[sawinredneck]

Fair enough.

 

[Old Monkey]

This started because of the success the folks in Tunisia have had so far in overthrowing their regime. Yemen is also in flux. The tricky thing is that these countries are all allied with us to some degree. How do we support democracy while not screwing up our long term relationships with these countries. Obama will take heat on this no matter what he does. If he supports the popular uprising and the uprising fails, he screws over our relations with Mubarek who has helped us in the War on Terror and has kept the peace with Israel that we bought at Camp David. If he supports Mubarek or appears not to support the protestors enough and Mubarek is deposed, Egypt could be taken over by folks who will not maintain ties with us. All the while we still support a number of repressive regimes in that region like Saudi Arabia who are no doubt watching these series of popular uprisings with much concern. If too many regimes fail at once, the power vacuum could be filled by extremists. The whole deal is very promising and very problematic, all at once. I think I'll go check out foxnews.com and msnbc.com to see how bad and good Obama is handling this tricky situation.

 

[HolmenTree]

Now that is funny You should have replied "no .Canada has plenty whiskey ,good stuff too "

I couldn't find Canada Dry ginger ale for sale in Egypt, but the story goes when the British were in power Canada Dry was a common soft drink there, now a legend.
As a Canadian I don't show them I'm insulted with their tease of Canada Dry, I let on to some of them that I feel proud Canada has contributed something to them seeing they contributed to the world the first mathematics, alphabet and medicine....... that leaves them speechless.

Whiskey means nothing to a Muslim but I found some of the best beer I ever tasted anywhere in Egypt called Stella, I believe its made by the Coptic Christians.

Willard.

 

[sawinredneck]

Obama is screwed no doubt! No President stands a chance on this one.
The "Muslim Brotherhood" is already starting to set up and step up it seems. They are coming out of the wood work right now. No, that's not good for us, and worse for Israel!
What is going to suck the most about this, is these poor oppressed people are going to empower an even more oppressive power structure if they are not careful!
I have to say, the more I watch this the more I wonder about 2012!

 

[Old Monkey]

I just had a hot soy cocoa, the world's not ending on my watch.

 

[NeTree]

The Middle-East is in an uproar, and there's no peace.

This is news?

 

[Old Monkey]

With any change, there is a potential upside and a potential downside.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Until the women start showing their ankles, the place will continue to be all screwed up.

 

[Scottlikesapples]

As long as the US is providing 2 billions dollars in military aid to a Middle Eastern regime there won't be much peace.

 

[Old Monkey]

Which aid package is that? The one with Israel or Egypt. We have paid money for peace and have had it between those two.

 

[Scottlikesapples]

2 Billion a year in 'military aid' is given to Egypt each year. Mubarak is yet another leader put into place by the US government. Just like that Saddam fella.

 

[stig]

Until the women start showing their ankles, the place will continue to be all screwed up.

It will take a little more than that in Egypt, Jay.

An estimated 80% of Egyptian women are victims of pharaonic infibulation.

That is a lot more screwed up than wrapping yourself in a burka.

The US government is not alone in supporting those despots in the middle east in the cause of keeping things calm.
The wonderful EU have been doing the same .

I think the best way to keep the militant followers of the prophet ( blessed be his name) from taking over, is for us to lend our support to whatever new government the people of Tunesia and Egypt come up with.

There was an Egyptian blogger who wrote right after the president of Tunesia fled: "I hope all you old men who have been holding the arab countries in your hands for so long, are sleeping badly now. Your turn is coming, too"
Quite profetic!