Egypt, Yemen, Tunisia,

[Nitro Express]

I lived in Israel in 1987 doing a study abroad thing in college. Things were pretty calm then. We used to go into Egypt and stay at a great beach resort in Al Arish. We tried to get into Saudi Arabia because they have some world class scuba diving along the Red Sea. Impossible to get a visa. Not much going on between the Jews and Palistinians then either. I had the feeling then I better see what I want to see because the middle east can go off at any time.

[SunisinuS]

To be honest.....it is not for us to decide.

I have a roomate that is ex navy seal....

[SunisinuS]

To be more clear: Pain is the human condition. You think otherwise....you have a mental illness. We only survive through the ability to overcome pain. Look to the founders of your country. If they believe that comfort is the way to freedom....then they have another think coming.

[SunisinuS]

I lived in Israel in 1987 doing a study abroad thing in college. Things were pretty calm then. We used to go into Egypt and stay at a great beach resort in Al Arish. We tried to get into Saudi Arabia because they have some world class scuba diving along the Red Sea. Impossible to get a visa. Not much going on between the Jews and Palistinians then either. I had the feeling then I better see what I want to see because the middle east can go off at any time.

[vh rides again]

Obama said he spoke to the egyptian president after his speech last night, he said he told him it was his responsibility to follow through with his promises. jeezus christ where does he get the balls to be giving advice about following through on promises?. CNN also reported that all the tear gas cylinders being used on the protesters were manufactured in the united states.

[Nitro Express]

Things haven't changed since Lawrence of Arabia was running around there. Got to protect the Suez Canal zone. Other than that, nobody gives a rat's ass.

[Nickdfresh]

The largest organized opposition movement in Egypt is the Muslim Brotherhood.

And they were pretty late on the boat of this current uprising, which has actually caused them to lose credibility as a largely de-fanged, beaten down opposition party part of the system the protesters are trying to usurp. This is largely a spontaneous uprising led by students, internet activists, and the largely secular intellectual elites inspired by the deposition of the Tunisian strongman a few weeks ago. The main hurdle they face is that they are in fact NOT an organized opposition. But a loose, somewhat leaderless confederation of people sick of corruption, military dictatorship, and a status quo that quashes any form of social mobility and meritocracy...

[Nickdfresh]

It might be noted the internet and cell phone networks were shut down in Egypt. Great organizing tools until the government pulls the plug.

The cell phone shut down will cause difficulties. However, I've heard it speculated that one of the ways to piss people off and make them more actively belligerent is to shut off their internet, which serves as a tool to release their anger via blogging and posting on message boards. Take away that, they have no other way to vent than to throw firebombs in the street...

[Nitro Express]

The key is to be organized. The government can mop up an unorganized rabble. Everyone is amazed Egypt could shut down the internet so quickly. It would be almost impossible to do in the US because we have so many internet providers, networks, and routes. It's nothing new. It's why the Romans provided bread and circuses. To keep the people pacified. If the average guy has a job, can buy a beer after work, and get laid, they are pretty much happy. The average person doesn't need much. Once that goes away they get mad and take to the streets. It's happening worldwide and probably will start to happen here in a year or two. Europe is already percolating.

[Nitro Express]

Egypt has always been a puppet state of the west because of the strategic importance of the Suez Canal. The Brits purposely set up Israel to be a new base of operations in the Middle East. Israel has always been a puppet state to the European bankers. If there was no canal zone and no oil there, it still would be guys riding around on camels fighting each other.

[Nickdfresh]

You really need to read history. The Jewish settlers terror bombed the British. I have no idea what you're talking about as Israel endures far more skepticism in Europe than it does in the U.S. There's little oil near Egypt. And neither Egypt nor Israel have a history that one could call conducive to being a client state or "puppet" since Egypt was in the Soviet sphere until the early 1970s, when they largely fell away back towards the West...

[Nickdfresh]

The key is to be organized. The government can mop up an unorganized rabble....

That's what they're sort of trying to do. But then, how do you arrest the leaders of a largely leaderless movement? And it seems the security forces may be showing signs they're no longer following orders...

[Nitro Express]

The US currently gives Egypt $2 Billion a year. It's a puppet state. The Soviets assisted Egypt during the cold war. There is no oil in Israel or Egypt but there are oil assets near those states and the Suez Canal is in between them. The British have always had an interest because of that reason.

Israel may not be popular with the average European but they aren't running the show, the banks and oil companies are. You might as well just put North America and Europe in the same boat as far as that is concerned because the big money run the show and they start the wars and revolutions to play their games. North American bankers and European bankers get along fine. Things happen for a reason.

The middle east is a complicated place and it's history is not so cut and dry. It's where Jews fight Jews and Mulsims fight Muslisms and they fight each other. With the natural resource wealth there, you always have powerful outsiders manipulating things from the outside.

It's boils down to control of natural resources, trade routes, and pipelines. The countries with the big money and militaries will always be able to buy off the politicians or stir a revolution or invade to change who's in charge. Just because a country doesn't have oil doesn't mean it's not valuable from a transportation perspective or a military strategic location.

[Nitro Express]

That's what they're sort of trying to do. But then, how do you arrest the leaders of a largely leaderless movement? And it seems the security forces may be showing signs they're no longer following orders...

Leaderless movements can't accomplish anything. Sure people can take to the streets, break windows, set cars on fire but then comes in the military and they are mowed down. If enough of the military refuse to follow orders then that changes things.

[sadaist]

The cell phone shut down will cause difficulties. However, I've heard it speculated that one of the ways to piss people off and make them more actively belligerent is to shut off their internet, which serves as a tool to release their anger via blogging and posting on message boards. Take away that, they have no other way to vent than to throw firebombs in the street...

It has been reported over the day that people are using dial-up to get Internet access. Fucking snail slow, but it's access nonetheless. So is dial-up a backup emergency plan everyone should keep the ability to access?

There is zero chance I could use dial-up because I don't even have a live phone line coming in to my house. Haven't in about 5 years. Only phone I have is my cell phone, and my only Internet is through the cable provider. Long gone are the days of the very first thing you do when you move is setup the phone line and plug in your answering machine.

I don't really stockpile anything in case of major civil unrest or catastrophe. But a phone line might not be a bad idea. Cause even if electricity is totally gone, phone lines still work.



come to think of it, I don't think my computer even has a way to connect to a phone line...and I know I don't have a cord anywhere even if it did.