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Egypt in Crisis
Figured I'd pop the tread up since it's bound to be a point of conversation. Here's some important things to note:
- Protests in Egypt have been going on for days, often turning violent due to police brutality and fierce crackdowns on the protesters.
- Egyptian officials just slammed the gates on effectively all of their internet.
- Anonymous has taken note, though if they'll actually be able to do anything of note is yet to be seen.
- It was sparked, among other things, by Tunisia's current uprising against their negligent government.
- Yemenis also heating up now.
Most of the protests seem to be against long-term heads of the countries, some in power for as long as 30 years, and also sparked by low wages, rising cost of living, and government imposed restrictions on any number of activities.
Al Jazeera has some really interesting, accurate, in-depth stories about what's going on, as long as their stores do not involve Europe, the US, or Isreael/Palestine.
- Protests in Egypt have been going on for days, often turning violent due to police brutality and fierce crackdowns on the protesters.
- Egyptian officials just slammed the gates on effectively all of their internet.
- Anonymous has taken note, though if they'll actually be able to do anything of note is yet to be seen.
- It was sparked, among other things, by Tunisia's current uprising against their negligent government.
- Yemenis also heating up now.
Most of the protests seem to be against long-term heads of the countries, some in power for as long as 30 years, and also sparked by low wages, rising cost of living, and government imposed restrictions on any number of activities.
Al Jazeera has some really interesting, accurate, in-depth stories about what's going on, as long as their stores do not involve Europe, the US, or Isreael/Palestine.
Comments
Foreign policy experts see today's protests as a breaking point. To quote that article, the general populace of Egypt has "broken the barrier of fear." Protests are widespread geographically, and the general popular sentiment is with them (as opposed to the failed Green revolution in Iran last year, where the protests were concentrated among urban youths).
Much of what is happening now in the Middle East is very reminiscent of the mass uprisings of the 1800s in Europe and the anti-Soviet movements in the USSR as the union collapsed. Time will tell, but these current movements are quite possibly an historic sea change in the whole of the region.
If I remember correctly, in the lead up the revolutionaries had a big "my religious dick is bigger than yours" contest and started oppressing/murdering/ousting people immediately after the thing succeeded.
Al Jazeera is live casting the Egyptian revolution.
And reporter from the inside commenting. I think he works for the guardian, if that matters to you.
My thoughts are that this is likely a good thing (in the long run) for each of the countries, but in particular Egypt changing leaders has problems as it is one of the least anti-west of the area.
Also, Cerfews have been declared and the army is out in force now.
2011 Egyptian protests
A mob of protesters and military appears to have surrounded several museums to protect them from the escalating violence. The military also appears to have allowed the protesters access to government buildings.
The government appears to be on the verge of collapse, and the the White House is preparing a live briefing.
Oh god. I've become my father.
I wish they would be upfront and say, "Right now the President is doing something that we don't want to tell you and until something happens, we might let you know."