Godspeed, Cairo, and to all our brothers and sisters across the Middle East.
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Making small thing grand and grand things small.
Erin O'Brien
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35 comments:
I can help.
1. USA props up authoritarian dictatorships all over the region for umpteen years because said dictators are "tough on terror."
2. Propped up dictators squish all legitimate challenges to their authority leaving radical Islamist groups to fill the void.
3. Chronic prop-up-ism and unnecessary war breaks the bank and will of USA, bringing end to said prop-up-ism
4. Oppressed peoples get tired of dictators but have no good alternatives but radical opposition
so, in the name of changing the status quo, sweep radicals into office.
5. Popular uprisings spread across the region finally arriving at propped up authoritarian regime in Pakistan, which incidentally happens to have nuclear weapons.
6. Evangelical Christian Conservatives with nukes condemn Radical Islamist with nukes and vice versa. Zionists join the fray just for shits and giggles.
7. Nuclear Holocaust Occurs.
8. No more twist-up-isms.
RJ
Or:
1.} Just prior to Nukular Holocaust, billions of leaflets are airdropped into hotspots around the globe. They contain only a grainy photograph of Betty White naked.
2.) World peace is finally achieved.
Didya see her fondle the award statue? Funny broad.
Chit. Shoulda known Philbilly would show up and play the Betty White card. Only alternative to my Doomsday scenario.
But it won't be reported by western media until about 3 weeks after the rest of the world has starred into the abyss and Americans will just think there was some sort of dispute between J'Lo and Steven Tyler.
al jazeera is your friend.
RJ
Eriin: I agree with the sentiment of your post but is "Godspeed" the acceptable wish for Cairoans?
Matter of fact it is. When the Muslim Brotherhood tries chanting "allah hu akbar" they are shouted down with "Muslim. Christian. We are all Egyptian."
The people of Cairo seem to be on a journey to me, Bill, but if you have any other suggestions, I'm all ears.
Now how much do I owe you, Bill, for this important editorial consultation?
Who really knows what is behind the Egyptian movement? Who could blame lots of them for being tired of Mubarak? I find it facinating that so many talking heads are suddenly expert on the matter. I read, somewhere, that the unemployment rate in Egypt is 9.7% and that's one of the major issues. Flights from Detroit to Cairo are full.
The Muslim Brotherhood is about 20%of the population. The Obama administration has said that they can be a part of the new government but "they must reject violence". That makes everyone feel better.
Bill, why do you righties get all batchy whenever someone else wants freedom?
Erin: Batchy is a great word! Well, I can't speak for righties but I'm in total support of Egytians who want a change in their government. It's not clear what that means. I was a little more enthusiastic about the Iranian protest. The one that our Government chose to pretty much ignore.
According to the news over 50,000 US citizens live in Egypt, interesting when you rmember what happened in Iran. Freedom is an intereting word, it seems the level of freedom is proportional to the amount sacrifice that is given. I have no desire for the US to support any movement where the people of that country are unwilling to support. For the record we need to get our butt out of a bunch of countries and let the chips fall where they may.
JOG
"freedom's just another word for noting left to lose"
50,000 Americans in Egypt, pretty much free to leave. 2 Americans in Iran, not so free.
I just listened to Olney's Jan. 31 "To The Point" coverage--excellent. Looks like he's back on it today.
Different, smart, informed viewpoints--really good.
I listened to most of Olney's podcast. You're right Erin. Really good. Supports my earlier point that no one knows exactly what's happening.
The Egyptian Army has said that it won't turn on the civilians to keep Mubarak in office, so at least some of the more immediately violent alternatives have been removed.
Interesting how little attention is being paid to Jordan and Yemen. While the protests there aren't as large, they're still quite serious; the Jordanian PM has had to resign. And then of course there's the independence vote in South Sudan. The whole region is in flux.
Pan-Arab Nationalism is not really that hard to understand except for those who would deny other's freedom.
"Should the people one day truly aspire to life
then fate must needs respond
the night must needs shine forth
and the shackles must needs break
Those who are not embraced by life’s yearning
shall evaporate in her air and vanish."
Abu Al-Qasim Al-Shabi
RJ
RJ: If only the poets of the world were running things. Yes, Pan Arab Nationalism is really very simple. Islam has nothing to do with it. Thanks for clearing that up.
Dearest Bill,
Given that you have your finger on the pulse of the North African protests I assumed you and other commenter's on this here blog would immediately recognize that verse as having made it's way from Tunisia, where it was used to characterize the protests leading to the ouster of Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, to Cairo where I've seen and heard it quoted at least half a dozen times as representing calls for Mubarek's resignation and unity between Tunisians and Egyptians and Arabs of other countries present in Tahrir Square. Perhaps I assumed too much. On the other hand Imperialist's like yourself will have a hard time wrapping their brains around the idea that the Arab countries(secular or religious) could possibly manage without U.S. and European guidance. At least that's what Tony Blair and W. Bush said right?
RJ
Imperialist pigs! Fascist fucks! Communist Cunts! Your God has a beard, my God has an elephant head with eight arms, his God is a fat fuck who, despite all the wisdom he imparted, mistakenly ate some poisonous mushrooms, her God is some spiritual asshole whose incarnation has already been found and is a 7 year old boy...
I'm putting on side 2 of Zep IV and saying: hell with humanity. I got gin, wankers! When the revolution comes my way, I'll be the plonker who runs the other way, two whiskeys clutched tightly, and a jug of water balancing on me head.
I take it you're a rocker swine but with the right beat that post has the makings of a fine rap.
RJ
"The whole region is in flux."
And about goddam time, too.
Guess which traditional externality that the cost of your gasoline depends on is about to jump back on the balance sheet?
Silly ass little windmills. Harumph.
Solar panels? phhhttt.
Hey, when is somebody gonna say that Israel needs to stand down and come correct?
Oh, wait, I just did.
For more on colonialism, see;
"Cobra Verde" 1987, w/ Klaus Kinski, directed by Werner Herzog.
And a shoutout to Jihad Jane: Mubarak is stepping down, no thanks to you and your pals.
RJ: Yes. You assumed too much. I had to google the guys name to find out he's a poet.
I imagine Netanyahu is pretty worried about what kind of government, secular or Islamist, is going to be rushed into power in Egypt. Whatdya think?
I'm sure Netanyahu is very aware of the events taking place. I don't know that worried wouldn't be his state of mind. He'd probably be comfortable with replaying the Yom Kippur War. He'd prolly just as soon do that as see Egypt stage free elections. When that happened in Gaza in 2006 the Arabs elected Hamas.
Oops.
RJ
Off Topic:
Hey Philbilly, E'O, check this story out.
"Tools Never Die." Robert Krulwich. NPR "Morning Edition" 2/1/2012
tools-never-die-waddaya-mean-never
"If you listen to our Morning Edition debate, I tried carbon paper (still being made), steam powered car engine parts (still being made), Paleolithic hammers (still being made), 6 pages of agricultural tools from an 1895 Montgomery Ward & Co. Catalogue (every one of them still being made), and to my utter astonishment, I couldn't find a provable example of an technology that has disappeared completely."
RJ
Now back to our regular programming.
Erin,
There are indeed different, smart, and informed viewpoints on To The Point.
Then there's Glenn Beck:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PH7GPPpsw6g&
An astonishing level of crazy has been reached, even by his "standards." This man is a charlatan. He could get thousands of teabaggers to drink koolaid at the Lincoln Memorial if he wanted to.
Still off-topic: A recent PBS documentary on Westerns reminded me of one of my favorite shows growing up, “Wild, Wild West”. I realized it was based on early Steampunk, Hollywood style. And then there’s this: Palin
Yeah, Beck is breakin’ down mentally again slowly but surely. Heard him trying to defend the Three Fifths Compromise. What a tool.
By the by, I looked up an old mentor recently, and he has a Commodore 64, new in the box, he’s thinking of selling. I’d buy it but it wouldn’t fit on the obsolete electronics shelf with my TI-30, wooden-cased Megger, Radar Sentry(useless when new) and IBM Aptari.
RJ: You think Bibi wants another war? You think he doesn't want a Hamas like gov in Egypt? I think we need to call on that poet again.
Hal and phil: Beck seems to be driving you crazy too!
It seems Mubarak misunderstood President Obama's previous orders. Tweet him, Mr. President.
I dig rap. But the early type. Give me a dose of Chuck D or KRS 1 or Eric B. and Rakim and I'm a happy non-camper. Gimme Zep and AC/DC and Priest and Wagner and Bach and Miles and Coltrane, as well. I need me a full pot for my jambalaya. Oh yea, throw in a dash of Herzog/Kinski in there...those two working together are like nitroglycerin. And I likes me some explosives.
swine: you must have some happy neighbors.
Is fear the same as worry?
"What could develop and which has developed already in several countries, including Iran - repressive regimes of radical Islam - that is the fear, of all of us," said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday in his strongest comments yet on the Egyptian crisis.
Then the prime minister excused himself to continue work on The Neocolonial Inn, his latest housing project for East Jerusalem. "I can never get the window treatments right" he said.
RJ
And, as normally happens, RJ changes the subject and injects some humor, for diversion, when one of his previous points is exposed as bull shit.
Can't we all just get along?
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1957988/sublime_april_26_1992_rodney_king_riots/
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