Protests in Egypt, pending doom of Mubarak

[Borderline Divine]

You funny

My bet is that he's at the Radisson Blu in Sharm El Sheikh... incredible off-season rates right now!

I'm always fascinated by dictators like Mubarak and others. How, after 30 years, in your dotage and after pillaging a country for billions over the decades, they can't just fade away to some Greek Island and be waited on hand and foot by swarthy maids in togas.

The fact that I've never had any power probably explains why I don't know the answer to that question.

[Goatnapper'96]

In Romania, Chow Chess Coo (I'm not even going to attempt spelling it) was known to be holed up in the palace, and that became the focal point of the protests. That fact also led to his demise at the hands of the mob.

And not to hijack the thread, but I feel like millions taking to the streets, work stoppages and rocks thrown IS a political process, one that has proven to be very effective throughout history, even recent history (see Eastern Europe).

I put the picture of him from Newsweek with the bullethole in his forehead in my locker and dubbed it "Due Process of Law." Chigh (or Chai) Chess Coo, but I am thinking your mispronounciation was due to your intermountain accent: WilTson, NelTson and warshing the dishes.

The Ethiopians used throwing rocks as a national defense against the Italian Air Force, I think they even took a few out in the beginning of WWII.

[dabrockster]

WND reports MB has met with U.S. and some pretty strong charges that the U.S is supportive and involved with the protests etc..

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=258405

[byu71]

WND reports MB has met with U.S. and some pretty strong charges that the U.S is supportive and involved with the protests etc..

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=258405

Is this something published by Glen Beck. I don't believe it. Obama would not sit idly by while protests are going on in Iran and then encourage them in Egypt.

[myboynoah]

Is this something published by Glen Beck. I don't believe it. Obama would not sit idly by while protests are going on in Iran and then encourage them in Egypt.

That's because the Iranian dictators were not our allies.

[Solon]

Is this something published by Glen Beck. I don't believe it. Obama would not sit idly by while protests are going on in Iran and then encourage them in Egypt.

While we don't know the permanent changes (if any) that these protests will engender, the developments in Tunisia, Egypt, and to a lesser extent in Yemen and Jordan are truly breathtaking. In many ways, the demands are straight out of the European revolts of 1830 or 1848, or the French revolutions in 1789 and 1870.

George W. Bush thought that democracy in Iraq would topple Middle-East/Maghreb dictators like dominoes. Instead, it took a kid with no future to light himself on fire in Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia. We have yet to see the protests spread to an oil-rich country, but it might just be a matter of time (I'm talking to you, Libya).

While there's a lot of uncertainty about new regimes' attitudes towards Islamism, Israel, the price of oil, and terrorism, the world would be a better place with fewer Mubaraks & Ben Alis around.

[dabrockster]

Is this something published by Glen Beck. I don't believe it. Obama would not sit idly by while protests are going on in Iran and then encourage them in Egypt.

You know. I haven't watched him sicne we moved into our house and didn't set his show to tivo.. My wife and I both commented that we are less stressed about our future which is nice..

So in other words. I couldn't tell ya old bastard....

[LA Ute]

While we don't know the permanent changes (if any) that these protests will engender, the developments in Tunisia, Egypt, and to a lesser extent in Yemen and Jordan are truly breathtaking. In many ways, the demands are straight out of the European revolts of 1830 or 1848, or the French revolutions in 1789 and 1870.

George W. Bush thought that democracy in Iraq would topple Middle-East/Maghreb dictators like dominoes. Instead, it took a kid with no future to light himself on fire in Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia. We have yet to see the protests spread to an oil-rich country, but it might just be a matter of time (I'm talking to you, Libya).

While there's a lot of uncertainty about new regimes' attitudes towards Islamism, Israel, the price of oil, and terrorism, the world would be a better place with fewer Mubaraks & Ben Alis around.

I'm pretty worried about an Islamist takeover. The US should have pushed Mubarak to democratize a long time ago (he's had 30 years). We have a bad habit of looking the other way when dictators are useful to us. (Iran, the Philippines, Nicaragua.) Usually doesn't end well.

[creekster]

I'm pretty worried about an Islamist takeover. The US should have pushed Mubarak to democratize a long time ago (he's had 30 years). We have a bad habit of looking the other way when dictators are useful to us. (Iran, the Philippines, Nicaragua.) Usually doesn't end well.

Not that I disagree with you, but we did a heck of a lot more than look the other way in the examples you refernced.

[LA Ute]

Not that I disagree with you, but we did a heck of a lot more than look the other way in the examples you refernced.

True. I was referring mainly to our putting up with dictatorships.

[Sleeping in EQ]

While we don't know the permanent changes (if any) that these protests will engender, the developments in Tunisia, Egypt, and to a lesser extent in Yemen and Jordan are truly breathtaking. In many ways, the demands are straight out of the European revolts of 1830 or 1848, or the French revolutions in 1789 and 1870.

George W. Bush thought that democracy in Iraq would topple Middle-East/Maghreb dictators like dominoes. Instead, it took a kid with no future to light himself on fire in Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia. We have yet to see the protests spread to an oil-rich country, but it might just be a matter of time (I'm talking to you, Libya).

While there's a lot of uncertainty about new regimes' attitudes towards Islamism, Israel, the price of oil, and terrorism, the world would be a better place with fewer Mubaraks & Ben Alis around.

Well said.

[creekster]

While there's a lot of uncertainty about new regimes' attitudes towards Islamism, Israel, the price of oil, and terrorism, the world would be a better place with fewer Mubaraks & Ben Alis around.

I hope it will be better. I am afraid it will just be different.


Meet the new boss; same as the old boss.

[LA Ute]

I hope it will be better. I am afraid it will just be different.


Meet the new boss; same as the old boss.

I just hope it isn't anything like Iran.

[byu71]

You know. I haven't watched him sicne we moved into our house and didn't set his show to tivo.. My wife and I both commented that we are less stressed about our future which is nice..

So in other words. I couldn't tell ya old bastard....

Sweet

[Eddie]

Is it a big deal or mean anything that the protest was supposed to have 1 million today and the estimate was 250,000 showed up.

According to some reports there were 5 million + throughout egypt. All public transportation was shut down along with the internet, so great turnout.

from an egyptian news service:

Cairo: 2 million and number growing
Alexandria: 2 million
Mansoura: Half million.
Ismailiya: Quarter million.
Port Said: 100 thousand and number growing
Alminya: 200 thousand
Suez: Quarter million
Sharqiyya: Quarter million
Fayyoum: 150 thousand and number growing
Almahalla: Quarter million
Manoufiya: 150 thousand number growing
Damanhour: Quarter million
Mahalla: Quarter million and number growing
Al-Arish: 100,000

Al jazeera also says more than one million in cairo alone:

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/mi...115442982.html

Cairo: More than a million people gathered in and around Tahrir Square
Alexandria: Hundreds of thousands of protesters marched in the city
Sinai: Around 250,000 protersters rallied
El-Mahalla el-Kubra: Up to 250,000 people demonstrated
Hundreds of thousands also marched in Port Said, Suez, and Menya

Didn't the leader of the Black Muslims get a million men to march.

What was the size of the Glen Beck crowd.

I've always heard that the million man march didn't quite live up to the name. A name which was given before the event, not after.

Seems like I read something like 4-600,000 for Beck's rally, although reports varied widely.

In both cases months of preparation went into the events.

The turnouts in Egypt are (to me) that much more impressive because of the spontainious nature and the fact that you risk being teargassed or even shot for being in the streets.

Who makes these estimates anyway? What is their frame of reference? At some point did they count a million people and put them in the same place at the same time to see what it looks like? Did they start with 100K, and then just say "hey, this looks to be about 10X the number of people as when we counted 100K, so I'm calling it a million."

I just don't buy the estimates. In the sense that I don't believe anyone has actually ever counted up a million people to see what a million people really looks like.

I'm not saying that I don't think a million people have protested, or even that 5 million haven't actually protested. I'm simply saying that I don't believe they have any way of knowing how many there really are. Maybe it was 8 million. How would we anyone ever know?