I find it sad and amusing that the Egyptians were crying "Where's our democracy?", "Don't Americans want us to have democracy?"

No not really. Not at all. Democracy is a relic from the Cold War. Catch up!

Or as Axl Rose so poignantly called it. "Chinese Democracy"


What is freedom and what would you do with it if you had it? In the West, Freedom is basically trading Church control for State control.

I could complain all day about philosophy but as long as the grocery stores stay open and stocked I am good.

"A hungry man is an angry man."

I'm clearing my head... shut up!

Brings up something I've been wondering for a while. Could something like this happen here (Frank Zappa's "It Can't Happen Here" running through my head)? I would like to think that it could, but I don't really feel that way. And I'm not talking about decades or centuries down the line - with enough time anything can happen. But can you (not just you, Paul - the general "you") see the current citizenry of the US rising up and demanding a regime change? I can't. For a couple of reasons. 1) We're just too complacent, or worse - stupid. 2) I think we're too big geographically, with too many major cities. Maybe I don't know enough about Egyptian cities, but outside of Cairo I don't imagine Egypt having a NYC, LA, Chicago, Philly, Boston, SF, Seattle, Denver, Houston, Dallas. So while Egypt is able to concentrate all of its activities within their capitol, it seems our efforts would be spread out at various flash points throughout the country rather than concentrated directly on DC. But perhaps that could work to our favor? I dunno. And also, I think party lines are too strong and too equally balanced - you'll just get Ds fighting Rs, rather than Ds & Rs fighting together.
It just seems like if we didn't care when the 2000 election was rigged what's it gonna take? Though with the way everything has gone since 2000, perhaps another stunt like that would be enough to set us off.

now if only we would allow the tea party to take over our foreign affairs... everything would be peachy.

That's pretty much it. I saw it all unfold before my eyes while working in the aerospace industry for 15 years.
I was alarmed when I started hearing "my Government" preach in the same exact "Corporate Jingo" I heard at the factory.
They've divided and conquered already while everyone was spending money they didn't have.

Now you need a permit to protest here? You need to stand in a certain area to protest too?

it's over man. "Soft Tyranny" is here and it's going to get harder. once they figure out how to totally take away all your "tools".

i have been the watching egypt situation chad, its not breaking news thats for sure. i recently re-read marvels gijoe comic books #1-30 especially seemed to play out much of the past 30 years of opportunistic terrorisms. this recent situation seems nearly voyeristic the way its happening and being projected via media. nothing can stop man from destroying himself its the one truth of history.



you are a true beliver. blessings of the state, blessings of the masses.

as far as tools best one and also most abused, certainly underdeveloped is the one that comes built in to our skullbox. LSD in its inception did not control it only take away ones reasoning skills to a malable yet obviously warped 'controlable' environment. im sure that something better has been developed or perhaps we will believe that approach was just a relic of the past as well?

Iran and Israel are in agreement as to the outcome? Notice the date of the Tehran article. 1 day before the thugs were sent in... the revolution will not be televised?

http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=235100


http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-d ... s-1.339571

You see them throwing rocks, molotov cocktails and fighting with sticks over there but if it happens over here there will be a shit-pot of folks to loose there life because the population is soooo heavily armed...There are so many people in this country who are prepared for something crazy to break loose it's mind boggling...

It would be seriously disappointing if that was correct. Even more so if you put any weight into what Tehran Times has to say.
Even if they are correct, it's merely luck.

And actually i don't think they are in agreement at all. The thugs come in and join the... what? Military? Who have been standing between the protesters and the state sponsored aggressors? Defending the protesters? Not the state?
Or are you ignoring the whole Egypt and Israel hate each other thing and so both will do whatever they can mediawise to smear the other and get an advantage?

The US will never see a revolt like this. Partly because it is too spread out (though several cities in Egypt are protesting, not just Cairo), partly due to stupidity and sheepness, but mainly do to the fear of authority and the power of the state.
Maybe less fear of, but power of. The US would not put up with one million regime change protesters in Times Square. It would hit 1k and the tear gas would be raining down.

It would be box-cutters and hammers over in the UK . . . like the good old days!

he knew all about their plans.. a heads up? thanks WSB

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hti77Hru_HE

This is the drum that the Fox News people have been beating when I've been tuning in. It's funny because a few weeks ago when the demonstrations in England over the student loan situation were going on, they were saying almost the same thing they're saying now, like word for word. "Could this happen here? When will this kind of unrest spread to the US?"

I keep wondering, what's the ulterior motive here, what products are they trying to sell us during the commercial break that ties into this specific brand of paranoia?

SUV's and cases of douche bottles

Fucking well done Egypt!!!

I am... perhaps now was... a firm believer in the "fact" that no social change has ever come about without violence and/or direct action.
This has given me pause for thought.

Violence can be widely defined, and so, often the threat of violence is enough. In this case, having the Army on side made a significant, more accurately pivotal, difference. So perhaps, I can still stand by that, but the foundations of those beliefs have been shaken.

That said, we still don't know what went on behind the scenes, we do know that there have been nearly 500 (possibly more) murder and missing people in connection with this, but mostly on Mubarak's side.
I would suspect that other governments had a hand in unseating him as well, since the longer this went on, the more likely that it would all become much more secular and potentially less friendly to the West.

That all aside, what a fantastic success, truly inspirational.
Time will tell where they take it, but it is well worth wallowing in today's glory.

next one is.... FRANCE !!!!!

come on, who joins me ???

I WHIP MY HAIR BACK AND FORTH
I WHIP MY HAIR BACK AND FORTH
I WHIP MY HAIR BACK AND FORTH
I WHIP MY HAIR BACK AND FORTH
I WHIP MY HAIR BACK AND FORTH

awesome. my etrade account went up today. woot!

Glad it did not turn uglier.
But will the new regime be friendly enough for us to keep selling coca cola, fighter jets and munitions to?

Congratz Egypt!!! 500 dead is an amazing small amount for a revoltion. Remarakable.

What i do find sick is the "whats in it for america" thought form. Sociopathic nationslism. If you have friend whose husband beats and rapes her for years and then when she finally gets the strength to leave do you ask whats in it for you?

I believe we should support our neighbors as we would all our loved ones. Give strong advice when needed but dont be so damned selfish.

Well, finally, Mubarak stepped down, about 30 fucking years late!

Its always been the man on the streets that's fed up with all the red tape and bureaucracy that had suffered and want change. But ironically, whoever step up and take office are people that wants power with their own self interest in mind.

Plus, all the "big brothers(aka wolves) will want to buddy-up with the new establishment with the guise of helping. They are the same "buddies" that kept Mubarak in office all these years.

Scary times ahead.
To all the youths that had their life wasted, I wish them all the best.

The main problem is the U.S. is too big a country with two many varying POVs for something to go all haywire and cause a revolt.

I mean if most people rationally say down and understood they should be angry at the poor and middle class being taxed more than the rich, there would be riots. Most people just don't understand.

But I will say this: The 2012 election is going to be an ugly, ugly battle. This crapper of an economy we're in right now is not going to magically go away. It’s too big to change and folks are only now starting to realize how screwed up the bank failures and the housing bubble was.

Active denial tech has already been used on peaceful demonstrators in the USA. Mainstream press didn't touch it. Seems to have already been forgotten by the alternative press. I suppose there are still some videos available at conspiracy sites, if you can trudge through all the nonsense to find them.

Here in LA i work with a bunch of conservatives. When Obama wa running my boss would say that if he raised taxes the rich would leave the country. Yhe backwards thinking here is worrying about the rich lossing a small bit of excess money but not reslizing that if they would leave for that then they are the unpatriotic ones.

I think some of the confusion lies within the whole idea of "The American Dream" that there is a chance, no matter how minuscule, that anyone can make it there. Often throwing up examples and flooding the airways with chancers who made it lucky/big.
So the idea of threatening rich people incomes, strikes some deep rooted idea that "that could be me one day," no matter how unlikely, ridiculous or down right idiotic that concept might be. But you know, digging away at people's deep seated fears and ingrained thought always works.

Bump for Libya & Iran:

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/afric ... 12325.html