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Egypt

Bob Netherton II

Richard Bonine, Jr.

Richard Bonine, Jr.

International golf

Gunnar Emilsson

Amorette Allison

Gunnar Emilsson

Bob Netherton II

Richard Bonine, Jr.

Bob Netherton II

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supporter

Protests there are pretty crazy. Al Jazeera is estimating 2 million people in Cairo protesting right now. If it turns violent it could be really ugly. If somebody doesn't show up with about 50,000 porta-potties it could get ugly in another way.

http://english.aljazeera.net/watch_now/

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I sure didin't see a million people, do you have a reference? Also it's spelled with an e. I think I got Bruce correctly.

supporter

There are approximately three hundred million people in the US, aaron.
A million showed up for "your" protest. Hell, even Fox New's biggest, craziest asshole got that many to show up. Speaking of Beck, I see he has deemed the Egyptian protest "The Final Insurrection!"(or something). Thank heavens we in the United States have him as a calming influence. You are such a Republican!

amorette bob and who ever else....

get real....the question was WHY DOESNT ANYONE WANT TO TALK ABOUT THIS. AND WHY IS AMERICA NOT GETTING BEHIND THESE PROTESTERS.

i was using the treatment of the tea party as an example to prove a point. if you are on the wrong side of the media you will not get approval from them. no body knows where they are going with this...

there was more than a million voters in november bob. amorette, one judge said that the boston tea party was started over the government doing what obama did to the citizens of the united states. the boston tea party led to the revolutionary war,,,,obama care is something a dictator would do. a federal judge basically said as much. we are fighting for our liberty just like they are fighting for theirs.

butch grenz for president

[This message has been edited by aaron bruce (2/2/2011)]

I can't say that I agree with what Aaron is saying, but I'll tell you this. You will never get a serious discussion on this thread or any other. Why? Just look back to find the same people, saying the stuff about another topic. There is no substance. Just a lot of people taking jabs at one another, trying to make their next post "bigger" than the last. I commend those of you who are still talking about the post, wether I side with you or not. The rest of you, that have nothing better to do than make "it all" personal, get over yourself. What am I thinking? Like that's going to happen. Let the bashing begin, because we all know, that will help. STICK TO THE POINT, please......

supporter

Reality is that NONE of us have enough information at this point:

-to pick a side
-know what side to pick
-whether we should even pick a side.

We really ought to let the facts surface before we comment. There really isn't a "point" with which to stick.

supporter

I'm sure we should pick the side of getting rid of the ruthless dictator, but we might lose our travel destination.

supporter

Murray - I'm not talking about sending in troops, I don't think any are necessary. The protests have been mostly peaceful and what violence there has been was mostly due to the police. I'm just talking about the president calling for Mubarak to step down and things along those lines. Diplomatic support, not military.

Jason - I know, I know. I must be a masochist.

Richard - So when it's all resolved you'll take a side? In my opinion, if we're going to be a country that stands for freedom and democracy throughout the world and there's a dictator being removed by the demand of the public, that's all we need to know.

supporter

Richard - So when it's all resolved you'll take a side? In my opinion, if we're going to be a country that stands for freedom and democracy throughout the world and there's a dictator being removed by the demand of the public, that's all we need to know.

-I am not sure that we can or should continue to be a cheerleader for freedom/democracy outside of our borders and we darn sure can't afford to continue as the worlds police force to backup our talk.

-How do we know that this ruthless dictator will not be replaced but someone that is even more ruthless? I don't believe that those who are supposed to be in the know have the info they need to take the right actions evidenced by the administration talking out of both sides of its mouth;

-I am very sure that no one at MC.com has the info to take a stand.

The whole "Glen Beck picked the packers and there is some one on that team that is related to one of the leaders trying to oust the Egyptian dictator", "therefore we should side with the protesters" mentality, IMO isn't sufficient evidence to yet take a side.

With situations like Egypt, it's darn easy to jump out of the frying pan and into the fire.

[This message has been edited by Richard Bonine, Jr. (2/2/2011)]

supporter

http://en.wikipedia.org/w...rotherhood

supporter

Count me among those who believe this situation should be left to resolve itself on its own. Unlike other African countries, Egypt is fairly well developed and has an educated middle class (in addition to all those poor folks).

We didn't rush in to support one side or another when the Soviet empire collapsed. The sit back and wait approach will do just fine.

Personally, I think the current administration, backed by Congress, is overreaching a bit with its demands to begin an orderly transition to democracy now. Let the Egyptians sort out their own affairs. It took us what, 11 years? to go from a Continental Congress through Articles of Confederation to the Constitution.

supporter

I can't say that I agree with what Aaron is saying, but I'll tell you this. You will never get a serious discussion on this thread or any other.

These two sentences are linked somehow...

The United States needs to be very very careful here. If we act too much we stand a good chance of creating a long term enemy like Iran, if we act too little, one over the areas' biggest trade and shipping center could fall into utter chaos like Semolina with pirates and para-military units wrecking havoc. The Egyptian people need to find their own path to freedom, but we should be willing to help guide the process if asked.

founder

supporter

Somalia.

supporter

No, Richard. We have to oppose this ruthless dictator. If the next guy happens to be more ruthless, they'll have picked him themselves.

It's like the Pope and condoms. He knows people should use them, but he has to take the hard line of Catholic belief about sex. America should represent freedom of choice and maybe even back one of the choices, but we don't get to choose for them.

supporter

Hmmmm....I think Steve meant what he was typing....."fall into utter chaos like Semolina" means Egypt could turn into pudding.

No, I spend too much time reading cook books instead of world maps, the only thing that changes faster then cooking trends.

supporter

I don't know how Amorette can live with your malapropisms. You must have other talents.

supporter

In the immortal words of Mike Tyson, I'm just going to fade into Bolivian...

I'm pretty late to this discussion but...

America gains some substantial benefits from having the current President in office. The main reason the United States hasn't been more directly involved is due to the fact that the overwhelming message from the protesters is FREEDOM and DEMOCRACY. To intervene on behalf of our interests(Mubarak) would pretty much undermine 90% of our empire building elsewhere.

Rest assured, if these protests were not so overwhelmingly for something that is the supposed bedrock of the United States, we would be in there helping the current regime as much as possible.

http://www.rafimar.com/ho...advantages

Try and guess who gets first in line privileges along with severely reduced rates at the single most important shipping canal in the world?

supporter

LOL, Bob L...

I wonder why everyone is calling for democracy in egypt. who the hell lives in a democracy? why is fox news, calling for democracy in egypt...that is a sure well traveled path to failure.

Yes forcing our democracy on others is a well traveled path to disaster. But providing the right kind of encouragement and help, like the French did for us during our revolution, can have positive results. The trouble is it is a hard path to see and walk correctly.

steve, i love to argue with your wife....she is a bright broad, wrong but bright. did you know that we are not a democracy??? we have as a country no democracy to spread,

supporter

Yeah, Steve, don't you know that the United States of America is a republic and not a democracy? Come on, seriously. Even my Vegas cab driver knew that.

The...longest...20...minute...cab...ride...of...my...life.

supporter

and i wonder if you know the difference........

supporter

and i wonder if you know the difference........

wenches rarely do.

supporter

The...longest...20...minute...cab...ride...of...my...life.

I had a cab driver in Vegas who explained to me how to get in touch with and what the price range is of every type of hooker in Las Vegas (or at least the 3 bottom tiers). Since he was taking me to the airport I'm not sure why he thought this would be information that I would need, but I guess it was sort of interesting.

For the record, I am happy that congress and the President finally stepped up in support of the protests. That was all I was really looking for from them. Could have been a couple days earlier but better late than never. I think tomorrow will be a crucial day that will determine whether the crackdowns by Mubarak work. It sounds like some of the protesters are getting discouraged. There's a pretty good blog post by one of the organizers here:

http://www.sandmonkey.org/

Small excerpt below.

The End is near. I have no illusions about this regime or its leader, and how he will pluck us and hunt us down one by one till we are over and done with and 8 months from now will pay people to stage fake protests urging him not to leave power, and he will stay "because he has to acquiesce to the voice of the people". This is a losing battle and they have all the weapons, but we will continue fighting until we can't. I am heading to Tahrir right now with supplies for the hundreds injured, knowing that today the attacks will intensify, because they can't allow us to stay there come Friday, which is supposed to be the game changer. We are bringing everybody out, and we will refuse to be anything else than peaceful. If you are in Egypt, I am calling on all of you to head down to Tahrir today and Friday. It is imperative to show them that the battle for the soul of Egypt isn't over and done with. I am calling you to bring your friends, to bring medical supplies, to go and see what Mubarak's gurantees look like in real life. Egypt needs you. Be Heroes.

supporter

Congratulations to the Egyptian protesters. Mubarak is gone. I am extremely impressed with the courage and determination of the Egyptian people and I hope that they are rewarded with a real liberal democratic government.

a real LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT...
question one...muslims are not liberal, they are religeous fundamentalist conservatives.

question two...democratic? sure they are democratic. everyone is subject to the majority. the majority is muslim. and they aint liberal.

be careful what you wish for, your congratulations is premature. wait till you see what happens to the christians in that country. and the liberals....

how is that iranian uprising lookin to ya?

supporter

I, too, am glad Mubarak's gone but it is a little premature to celebrate. Egypt will be going through a very difficult time and we'll just have to wait and see how it turns out. I am hoping for the best.

supporter

This may come as something as an epistemic shock to you aaron, but the word "liberal" has multiple meanings which require contextual disambiguation.

[This message has been edited by Bridgier (2/11/2011)]

bla bla bla bridgier, bottom line they are more conservitive than most united states citizens...and you know it....

supporter

blah blah blah you don't really understand a word I said, do you?

supporter

Jason, I agree 100 percent with your post. Thanks

bridgier, i gotta stronger vocab than you think,,,and i do understand what you said....however the bottom line is that there is a good chance that the government that gets insTITuted there will be totalitarian.....which is a far cry from liberal.....but we will have to see,,,i think that the percentages are 80% chance of sharia...and if that is the case you should move there...

supporter

You've been drinking tonight, haven't you, aaron?

supporter

This is why the US is not behind the movement.

"As crowds celebrate the departure of Egypt's dictator Hosni Mubarak, tens of thousands of striking workers are among them. Workers' strikes became a central part of the protests that unseated Egypt's government this week.

Labor Notes interviewed teacher unionist Abdel Hafiz on the future of the protest movement and Kamal Abbas, director of the Center for Trade Union and Workers Services, an independent group, about workers' participation in the Egyptian revolt.

A wildcat action that began Tuesday among 6,000 workers in the Suez Canal showed how some workers' central position in the global economy can amplify the leverage of peoples' movements."

Unions- the only people truly fighting for democracy.

supporter

You really leave no stone unturned, do ya.

roll eyes (sarcastic)

supporter

Agree with Stone wholeheartedly!!! Unions Rule!!!

supporter

Sigh. Everybody's got their axe to grind I guess.

Anyhow, if anyone is actually interested in what's going on in Egypt as opposed to using it as one more excuse to gripe about the same thing you like to gripe about in every other thread, there was a good interview last week on NPR. Terri Gross interviewed journalist Lawrence Wright who is one of the most knowledgeable people in the country on the subject of the middle east about the Muslim Brotherhood, their history, and their place in Egypt today.

Hit the link and then click on the speaker icon to listen to the interview:

http://www.npr.org/2011/0...rotherhood

supporter

"...opposed to using it as one more excuse to gripe about the same thing you like to gripe about" Is that for me Levi or did you read the facts? Or if this is information that has been published anywhere else, then you already know. Sorry.

These guys protested for over 6 weeks with nothing to show for it. The Suez canal workers joined in and less then 48 hours later Mubarak has stepped down.

Yea, see my first post on this subject.

supporter

Being a union member may as well be considered your religious belief.

[This message has been edited by Buck Showalter (2/15/2011)]

supporter

Come on, Buck. Word is if you have a job and have ever protested anything, that puts you in direct solidarity with Big Tony Teamsters everywhere. And by pure coincidence, a few members of the Gambino family.

supporter

That could be Buck.

Rick you are alive. Are you and Aaron Bruce having tea?

supporter

Unfortunately I've never met Aaron. Maybe I'll get the opportunity some day. I'll keep you posted.

supporter

Just remember Rick. He is NOT a republican.

supporter

Unrest has now spread to Libya and Bahrain. There have been violent clashes with the military in both countries and in Libya there have been nearly 200 killed and hundreds more wounded by the military opening fire on protests and funeral processions. Government buildings in Tripoli have also apparently been burned. Now there are reports of military units defecting, leading to concerns that there might be a civil war. Like Mubarak did, Gaddafi is claiming that "it's the Islamists" that are doing this and they will wreck everything if he doesn't save the country. Don't think anyone's buying it though.

It will be interesting to see if the international reaction is different to this sort of thing happening in an "oil country".

http://www.guardian.co.uk...nt-tripoli

[This message has been edited by Levi Forman (2/21/2011)]

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