Egypt

[A_Northern_Soul]

What an incredible story this is turning into. Seems to be a real people's movement - not motivated by one political group. The military are on the street but largely being welcomed by the protesters and in some cases seem to be supporting the movement themselves.

Seems like big changes are happening in the middle east - I'm wondering if it will be comparable to eastern Europe c. 1989.

Hope things end well. Are there any Twoismers in the region?

[Waterbagel]

What an incredible story this is turning into. Seems to be a real people's movement - not motivated by one political group. The military are on the street but largely being welcomed by the protesters and in some cases seem to be supporting the movement themselves.

Seems like big changes are happening in the middle east - I'm wondering if it will be comparable to eastern Europe c. 1989.

Hope things end well. Are there any Twoismers in the region?

i'm curious as to what will come of all this.

[fujee]

My dad is on holiday in Egypt right now, quite a surprise for him i imagine!

[Mexicola]

I just hope they keep the momentum up. 30 years under a dictator like Mubarak can't be good.

[polar sky]

Well now it's getting violent! They are using Tear Gas and Molotov cocktails. The protest has turned into a riot.

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/02/02/eg ... 1&iref=BN1

[turquoise70]

I was gonna post in here yesterday to say "this is a really interesting situation so far" but it looks like it got even more interesting. I just hope this leads to some positive change in that region - who knows, maybe people throughout those regions might actually start respecting each other and showing solidarity across borders as a result of this.

Also...... stole this from my friend Ian, who stole it from someone else:

"Obama is a rubbish president. A proper leader like Bush would have been on the phone days ago DEMANDING to speak to the Pharaoh."

[Mexicola]

^^^ That, sir, is superb!

Blatently stealing that and Facebooking it..

[The Friendly Stranger]

Is nobody else worried that it may pave the way for a more extremist element to take hold of Egypt? Mubarak's dictatorship was horribly oppressive but at least it was stable. Doesn't anyone else fear that in International terms this could be the start of further unrest in the Middle East?

[fujee]

I believe that Egypt and it's infrastructure doesn't have the hostility/instability of a country like Afghanistan for example to allow extremism to take hold. Though it could happen.

[turquoise70]

Is nobody else worried that it may pave the way for a more extremist element to take hold of Egypt? Mubarak's dictatorship was horribly oppressive but at least it was stable. Doesn't anyone else fear that in International terms this could be the start of further unrest in the Middle East?

Yeah, that's a fair thing to worry about. I just hope it doesn't happen that way.

[Waterbagel]

please don't shut down the suez canal please don't shut down the suez canal please don't shut down the suez canal please don't shut down the suez canal please don't shut down the suez canal please don't shut down the suez canal please don't shut down the suez canal please don't shut down the suez canal please don't shut down the suez canal please don't shut down the suez canal please don't shut down the suez canal please don't shut down the suez canal please don't shut down the suez canal please don't shut down the suez canal please don't shut down the suez canal please don't shut down the suez canal please don't shut down the suez canal please don't shut down the suez canal please don't shut down the suez canal please don't shut down the suez canal

[Mexicola]

Listening to the news reports about the police setting up roomtop positions all day and how they've moved back into areas they deserted a week ago, with 'renewed confidence'. I've got a baaaaaad feeling about tonight. I'm old enough to remember Tiananmen Square. Hope I'm wrong. Really, really hope I'm wrong.

[Sac]

VIVA LA REVOLUCIÓN!

[halisray]

Tough nut to crack: on the one side, democracy is more fair than a military-run country and I understand the people for that. One the other side, if democracy is instated then the most popular group (which is the Muslim brotherhood) will gain power, thus severing ties to Israel and creating chaos in the Middle-East.

[A_Northern_Soul]

I think the movement has been fairly non-party driven - Muslim Brotherhood have kept fairly quiet, aren't driving things. As for if Egypt do get a democracy and do vote in whatever party, well that's up to them. I can't see Egypt embracing a radical regime though - after fighting for democracy, I don't think they'll want any form of hardline, theologically-based rule. Egypt has a great economy, great economic potential, a young, well educated population and decent infrastructure - certainly compared to other middle eastern countries.

I hope this is true anyway.

As usual - The Onion nails it:

http://onion.com/hwPZ2E

[halisray]

Pretty sure I read on Reuters on NYT that the Muslim Brotherhood are the favourites to win if given the chance to. And they don't believe in Judaism so bye bye Israel, hello World War 3 (joking obv).

[Mexicola]

Oh boy. NOT good...

[The Friendly Stranger]

This is exactly what I had feared. I don't think the people of Egypt really understood what they were asking for. Democracy doesn't happen over night and it won't in Egypt. However wrong Mubarak's leadership was, he at least needed the chance to prepare the country for a democratic election.

[Mexicola]

I agree that by removing the head of a corrupt and brutal regime isn't necessary a quick route to peace and prosperity, but it has to be a start, surely? And as for giving Mubarak a chance to prepare the country for democracy, this is a man who has ruled for 29 years without a sniff of democracy. I can understand the Egyptians mistrust and impatience. If nothing else, it's one in the eye to the (until now) all-powerful Police in Egypt and it reminds us that politicians, no matter how powerful they become, still serve us - the people - and we can kick the scumbags out when push comes to shove.

Not and end to their problems, true. But a step towards it, I hope.

[Möbius]

This is exactly what I had feared. I don't think the people of Egypt really understood what they were asking for. Democracy doesn't happen over night and it won't in Egypt. However wrong Mubarak's leadership was, he at least needed the chance to prepare the country for a democratic election.

The Egyptian people deserve much more credit than that. Many pro-democracy protesters, especially the youth, are well aware of how difficult democracy is to attain in any country—let alone, achieving this feat domestically. The march towards democracy is an ongoing struggle that seemingly eludes us, and that goes triple for the people who are strapped to the heels of an oppressive regime. To suggest that the Egyptian people are so incredibly naïve to think that, with the absence of Mubarak, their problems would wash away over night, is an insult to the courageous people who have died for the most fundamental human rights.