Egypt free?

[guardian1357]

'Egypt Is Free! Egypt Is Free!'

Cairo's Tahrir Square erupts with joy as President Mubarak resigns and hands over control to the military.

http://www.aolnews.com/2011/02/11/egypt ... lnk2|43425


Correct me if I am wrong but what about a military rule co-notates freedom?

[Mr_Adams]

besides that, if they go to elections 2 years from now, like they are claiming will happen on the news, Hamas is the largest political party (about 30% of the vote). "Who was it that said a dictator loves democracy... once."

[spurgistan]

Hamas is other Arabs. Same general skin tone, though.

Also, the general hope / expectation is that the military will step aside for elections in September. Agreed that this is not liberty and puppies for Egypt, yet, but c'mon, a popular pacifist resistance just removed a 30 year dictator-puppet from power. Let 'em dance. I dance with Egypt.

[angola]

Hamas is other Arabs. Same general skin tone, though.

Also, the general hope / expectation is that the military will step aside for elections in September. Agreed that this is not liberty and puppies for Egypt, yet, but c'mon, a popular pacifist resistance just removed a 30 year dictator-puppet from power. Let 'em dance. I dance with Egypt.

Agreed. Eighteen days of peaceful protest ended a 30-year dictator's reign. That is impressive. Well done, Egyptians.

[Mr_Adams]

Hamas is other Arabs. Same general skin tone, though.

Also, the general hope / expectation is that the military will step aside for elections in September. Agreed that this is not liberty and puppies for Egypt, yet, but c'mon, a popular pacifist resistance just removed a 30 year dictator-puppet from power. Let 'em dance. I dance with Egypt.

Agreed. Eighteen days of peaceful protest ended a 30-year dictator's reign. That is impressive. Well done, Egyptians.

Yes, it is good that they removed a dictator, but have they gotten rid of one dictator only to open the door for another? Call me a pessimist, but I am not comfortable with the situation until the new government is in place.

[saxitoxin]

Pessimist. Egypt's new leadership are a young, hip, democratic group. Let's chillax and celebrate with the Supreme Military Junta!

THOSE WHO DO NOT CELEBRATE WILL BE SHOT.


Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi
Twitter handle: @MarshalMo
Likes: 4Loko, MTV's Skins, Rachel Maddow, font face Helvetica
Fav Quote: "NOH8. Let gays marry."


Lt. General Sami Esan
Twitter handle: @Sami48
Likes: My Chemical Romance, Jon Stewart, his iPhone
Fav Quote: "Yes We Can!"

[Symmetry]

besides that, if they go to elections 2 years from now, like they are claiming will happen on the news, Hamas is the largest political party (about 30% of the vote). "Who was it that said a dictator loves democracy... once."

Pessimist you may be, but Hamas is not the largest political party in Egypt. Did you mean the Muslim Brotherhood? Or did you mean within the Palestinian territories? I'm not sure I understood, unless you equate Hamas with the Muslim Brotherhood.

[Mr_Adams]

well, perhaps I am mistaken, but what I heard was Hamas. I've only watched 1 news show on this so far, I just turned on another. I think BBC world news is on soon as well.

[guardian1357]

I think I missed the part where the transition and protests were peaceful and pacifist???

Could you kindly provide me with links to this great wonder?

and I highly doubt hamas is the largest ....lol its the Muslim Brotherhood in egypt.

[Symmetry]

well, perhaps I am mistaken, but what I heard was Hamas. I've only watched 1 news show on this so far, I just turned on another. I think BBC world news is on soon as well.

Ah- apologies. I was a bit short with your post. Hamas is an off-shoot of the Muslim Brotherhood. Hamas is much more radical, hence the break. I've seen a few people make the assumption that they must be the equal as one caused the other.

[Mr_Adams]

They are completely seperate, ok, this was the mistake I made. I was under the impression that Hamas was the radical wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, but they are a radical splinter from the Muslim Brotherhood. gotcha.

[Symmetry]

I think I missed the part where the transition and protests were peaceful and pacifist???

Could you kindly provide me with links to this great wonder?

and I highly doubt hamas is the largest ....lol its the Muslim Brotherhood in egypt.

The protests do seem to have been largely peaceful, and I'm not sure about the pacifist part- I've never seen it claimed to be pacifist in nature.

[Symmetry]

They are completely seperate, ok, this was the mistake I made. I was under the impression that Hamas was the radical wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, but they are a radical splinter from the Muslim Brotherhood. gotcha.

This seems like a bit of a pointless argument. You were under the impression that Hamas was the largest political party in Egypt. That was the point I had issues with. I even made an effort to point out where you might have been mislead- that there is a strong connection between the two groups.

Perhaps the easiest way I can explain is that-

1) They are not the same

2) They are not completely different

Are we ok?

[guardian1357]

Hamas is other Arabs. Same general skin tone, though.

Also, the general hope / expectation is that the military will step aside for elections in September. Agreed that this is not liberty and puppies for Egypt, yet, but c'mon, a popular pacifist resistance just removed a 30 year dictator-puppet from power. Let 'em dance. I dance with Egypt.

I think I missed the part where the transition and protests were peaceful and pacifist???

Could you kindly provide me with links to this great wonder?

and I highly doubt hamas is the largest ....lol its the Muslim Brotherhood in egypt.

The protests do seem to have been largely peaceful, and I'm not sure about the pacifist part- I've never seen it claimed to be pacifist in nature.

"As of 29 January, at least 105 deaths had been reported, and those injured number 750 policemen and 1,500 protesters.[2][3] The capital city of Cairo has been described as "a war zone,"[21] and the port city of Suez has been the scene of frequent violent clashes. "
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Egyptian_protests

[Symmetry]

Hamas is other Arabs. Same general skin tone, though.

Also, the general hope / expectation is that the military will step aside for elections in September. Agreed that this is not liberty and puppies for Egypt, yet, but c'mon, a popular pacifist resistance just removed a 30 year dictator-puppet from power. Let 'em dance. I dance with Egypt.

I think I missed the part where the transition and protests were peaceful and pacifist???

Could you kindly provide me with links to this great wonder?

and I highly doubt hamas is the largest ....lol its the Muslim Brotherhood in egypt.

The protests do seem to have been largely peaceful, and I'm not sure about the pacifist part- I've never seen it claimed to be pacifist in nature.

"As of 29 January, at least 105 deaths had been reported, and those injured number 750 policemen and 1,500 protesters.[2][3] The capital city of Cairo has been described as "a war zone,"[21] and the port city of Suez has been the scene of frequent violent clashes. "
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Egyptian_protests

A fair point, but I'd like to emphasise that I said largely peaceful. If the issue here is that you think I believe there was no violence, then I can assure you that I fully believe that there was and that people died. My issue is that I don't believe the revolution was in itself violent. It was mostly peaceful.

[Phatscotty]

Hamas is other Arabs. Same general skin tone, though.

Also, the general hope / expectation is that the military will step aside for elections in September. Agreed that this is not liberty and puppies for Egypt, yet, but c'mon, a popular pacifist resistance just removed a 30 year dictator-puppet from power. Let 'em dance. I dance with Egypt.

Agreed. Eighteen days of peaceful protest ended a 30-year dictator's reign. That is impressive. Well done, Egyptians.

peaceful? over 300 people are dead.

[Phatscotty]

I think I missed the part where the transition and protests were peaceful and pacifist???

Could you kindly provide me with links to this great wonder?

and I highly doubt hamas is the largest ....lol its the Muslim Brotherhood in egypt.

The protests do seem to have been largely peaceful, and I'm not sure about the pacifist part- I've never seen it claimed to be pacifist in nature.

300 people are dead. That does not make a case for "peaceful". that almost as many people as were killed at those violent Tea Parties!

[guardian1357]

I think I missed the part where the transition and protests were peaceful and pacifist???

Could you kindly provide me with links to this great wonder?

and I highly doubt hamas is the largest ....lol its the Muslim Brotherhood in egypt.

The protests do seem to have been largely peaceful, and I'm not sure about the pacifist part- I've never seen it claimed to be pacifist in nature.

300 people are dead. That does not make a case for "peaceful". that almost as many people as were killed at those violent Tea Parties!

don't mention those horrible tea parties ugghhh *shudders* all those innocent babies killed...and eaten at bushes ranch

[spurgistan]

Being killed by government thugs does not make one violent. That is how 300 people died in the protests. Pacifist was probably a stretch, given how little we know of what the post-Mubarak gov will look like (it will almost by default be less friendly to Israel and the US), but still, non-violent resistance removed a human wart from a position of power. It's time for a party.

Also, it's crazy how fast this has spread through the Middle East. Abbas sacks his cabinet in Palestine (oh, and Mr. Adams, that's the one with Hamas although they are not part of Abbas' government) , Algeria and Yemen still struggle... it's a weird time in Arab politics.

[saxitoxin]

non-violent resistance removed a human wart from a position of power. It's time for a party.

Since you'll be partying with Rumsfeld maybe you can tell him to get a new suit.



poor, elegantly simple, western Europeans & Americans ... can't recognize a real people's power revolution from a CIA-engineered coup until 20 years later when the Washington Post gets around to telling them

[spurgistan]

So, hmm, the CIA removed the only guy in Egypt who likes us. Dammit, I got fooled again. Thanks, saxi!

[saxitoxin]

So, hmm, the CIA removed the only guy in Egypt who likes us. Dammit, I got fooled again. Thanks, saxi!

Oh yawn, why do I bother ... tomorrow you'll be bedazzled by some new revolution in Iran or wherever with photogenic, blue jeans-wearing youthful revolutionaries using Twitter or Facebook or some new Web 2.0 platform needing a market - all in perfect English, of course - or American Idol, etc.

It was reported as late as 2008 that Mubarak was terminally ill and the U.S. was frightened of a power-vacuum after he died.
http://www.aei.org/article/29065

Egypt's octogenarian president, Hosni Mubarak will soon depart the scene either of his own volition or following his inevitable death or disability. Should Gamal end up succeeding his father, such an approach would leave U.S. options between a rock and a hard place.

(date of article: 2008)

Now a US-backed military dictatorship is running the country and there's no fear of Gamal Mubarak taking-over a shaky regime.

Spontaneous people's revolt. LOL. Wanna buy a bridge?

[BigBallinStalin]

So, hmm, the CIA removed the only guy in Egypt who likes us. Dammit, I got fooled again. Thanks, saxi!

Oh yawn, why do I bother ... tomorrow you'll be bedazzled by some new revolution in Iran or wherever with photogenic, blue jeans-wearing youthful revolutionaries using Twitter or Facebook or some new Web 2.0 platform needing a market - all in perfect English, of course - or American Idol, etc.

It was reported as late as 2008 that Mubarak was terminally ill and the U.S. was frightened of a power-vacuum after he died.
http://www.aei.org/article/29065

Egypt's octogenarian president, Hosni Mubarak will soon depart the scene either of his own volition or following his inevitable death or disability. Should Gamal end up succeeding his father, such an approach would leave U.S. options between a rock and a hard place.

(date of article: 2008)

Now a US-backed military dictatorship is running the country and there's no fear of Gamal Mubarak taking-over a shaky regime.

Spontaneous people's revolt. LOL. Wanna buy a bridge?

1) If they is all smoothly going so well for the CIA and/or Mossad (from now on, the CIAsad, or Ciasad), then how are they going to broker power to their enemies, the Muslim Brotherhood without pissing off the majority (or really, enough people)?

2) And, aren't you still basing this on the assumption that this is a Ciasad-engineered coup? Don't you think you're overestimating their ability to shape the politics in this country?

[spurgistan]

I assume the checkmate move in this grand chess game of CIA front and false-front operations will be Barack Obama orchestrating a coup against Barack Obama? Apparently there's nothing more the American government wants than to get rid of people who are best placed to exert American hard and soft power. Next up: we sell Raytheon to the Iranians. Check and mate!

[2dimes]

So, hmm, the CIA removed the only guy in Egypt who likes us. Dammit, I got fooled again. Thanks, saxi!

Oh yawn, why do I bother ... tomorrow you'll be bedazzled by some new revolution in Iran or wherever with photogenic, blue jeans-wearing youthful revolutionaries using Twitter or Facebook or some new Web 2.0 platform needing a market - all in perfect English, of course - or American Idol, etc.

I like your hypothesis but I do need to point out that there was a pretty fair amount of Arabic used on facebook. My computer was having to keep reformatting pages because I don't have the language add ons once my bud was allowed back on the internet. Further I don't know if it's their fault they are, "Photogenic" and have better English skills than us victems of American television and the public school system. They are a pretty good looking bunch in person.

Most people I have spoke with while in Cairo speak it just as well as they write it. Those that didn't have perfect english skill were still exceptionally easy to understand even for my wife who does not enjoy speaking to english second language speakers as I do. I am confident in their ability to understand and repost "Yes we can. Viva Egypt!" but also have conversations about the whole thing in English and Arabic.