With Libya now moving to a Sharia-based system that will impose religious values on the population, Egypt is also rapidly moving toward an extreme Sharia based system. Indeed, Hesham al Ashry (the leader of the Salafists) announced this week that “I am the enemy of democracy.”
Businessman Naguib Sawiris now calls Egypt’s future “dim … bad.”
Al Ashry put the reality into perspective: “This is a big opportunity and it’s not going to go back. This was mentioned by the Prophet Mohammed. Peace be upon him. He said this was going to happen.” Thus, the freedom that led to the overthrow of Mubarak regime will now be extinguished to embrace a new form of oppression — just faith-based rather than tyrant-based repression.
One of the objections made to the intervention of the United States in Libya was that, in addition to the absence of any declaration from Congress, President Obama could bring bring about a more radical regime. Even at the time, Libyan rebels were known to have extremist elements, including some linked to Al Qaeda. Some of the same concerns were heard in our Egyptian policies. I am less critical of the Obama policy on Libya. Indeed, I thought the Administration struck the right tone — without military intervention. However, there is a general misconception that the “Arab Spring” necessarily means a triumph of democracy and human rights. Movements in both Libya and Egypt show the powerful pull of theocratic oppression. The denial of the separation of mosque and state (as well as religious freedom) undermines a host of other rights from free speech to free association. The Obama Administration undermined those rights further with its shocking support of a United Nation’s resolution that embraced the concept of blasphemy prosecutions.
With the move to Sharia law, Egypt is showing other signs of extremism. Sectarian violence, particularly against Christians, has increased with little intervention from the military.
The loss of Egypt to religious extremism would be extremely destabilizing for the regime. It will also raise a question of our continued massive support for the country. Even though we have cities and states breaking under economic pressures, we are still pouring billions in aid to both Israel and Egypt.
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1070504985/
Bda sez: “You are talking singular. The protest consist of a group.”
****************************
Actually any crowd is made up of a bunch of singulars if it is constituted like OWS. An organized group like the teabaggers would have a designated leader, an agenda and a program. What if you and I–and maybe the rest of the Turley regulars–went to the park to have this discussion. Do we need a permit? As I read your comments, you would apply for a permit and I would not. Does that sound about right?
Wonder if Crispus Attucks and his compatriots applied for a permit from the Governor back on that March day in 1770? Or what if they had and the Governor turned them down? What then?
Elaine,
I always got good Marx in school except for that time I was sick with the Engels.
bdaman Drexel Burnham and JP Morgan thought up cdo’s and credit default swaps. The problem is the system is rigged in their favor, and they employ very creative finance people. Elizabeth Warren gets it so Wall St does not like her.
Thanks for the link Gene. Kinda confirms what I’ve been saying
Winter Has Come URGENT Needs
#OccupyDC has been watching the weather reports over the past few days and we need your help…IMMEDIATELY.
If you’d like to donate, now is a crucial time to do so.
Saturday, the forecast is for a Nor’easter to move up the coast. Temperatures will drop into the 30′s and it will be raining.
There is even rumor and talk among some meteorologists we’ve been in contact with that it could end with a brief period of white stuff.
So, before the cold – rain – and even some flakes arrive we desperately need the following as soon as possible:
space blankets, blankets in general, wool gloves socks scarves etc., heating products, space heaters, sleeping bags, etc.
Generally speaking – imagine you’re sleeping outside in the cold – what would you want?
Thank You,
In Solidarity with the 99%
Bdaman,
“They should be protesting in D.C.”
Why? They don’t have enough money to buy politicians to listen to them.
They should be protesting everywhere–just as they did in the sixties and seventies. Then they can’t be ignored. Their tactics seem to have
worked.
He does fit the profile perfectly. He’s intelligent, but an under-achiever; alienated from his parents; has few friends. Classic case for recruitment by the Soviets.
Now what does this say about the state of our country, hmm?
I mean have you gotten any insight as to why a, a bright boy like this would jeopardize the lives of millions?
No sir. He says he does this sort of thing for fun.
Dammit, John, I want some answers and I want them now
Blouise and i discussed the dc group previously. It is relatively small. Blouise had good in sight into why.
Gene,
You just said the secret word. Email me your address and I’ll send $100!
You’re sooo smart. You must have gotten good Marx in school.
Bdaman,
One can send a message obliquely yet still make it understood.
This applies to groups as well as individuals.
Blouise,
Or when he’s ill-informed . . . like just now in his comment about DC protesters.
http://occupydc.org/
Elaine,
Now there is a version of Marxism I can believe in.
***********
Blouise,
To be fair, I’m not generally dismissive of Bdaman’s comments. Just the ones where he’s full of crap or citing disreputable sources. It’s not as if he’s an Objectivist.
What the movement clearly doesn’t want is to have to explain itself through corporate television. To which I answer, Hallelujah. You can’t talk down to a movement that won’t talk back to you.
but yet
They want—wait, no, we want—to be heard by a media that has devoted four mind-numbing years to channeling and interpreting every word uttered by a member of the Palin family while ignoring the voices of everyone else.
which one is it
people are holding up cardboard signs, the way protesters in ancient Sumeria might have done when demonstrating against a rise in the price of figs.
did they have cardboard back then
They want accountability for the banks that took their money, they want to end corporate control of government. They want their jobs back. They would like to feed their children. They want—wait, no, we want—to be heard by a media that has devoted four mind-numbing years to channeling and interpreting every word uttered by a member of the Palin family while ignoring the voices of everyone else.
They should be protesting in D.C.
Not impressed
Swarthmore mom,
Great Slate link!
No OS doesn’t, he said
“My point was they have no grounds for whining since applying for a permit was their idea.”
Then he said he knew the city required it. Thats called back tracking.
The T Party didn’t say hey lets go apply for a permit. Most law abiding citizens realize in order to hold a large scale event a permit is required. So more than likely they called first and asked what the requirement was.
Now the T Party could have just said hey everybody show up here at such and such time to which the city would have said do you have a permit. This is what the Occupiers did only for the city to say don’t worry about any permitting.
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2011/10/how_ows_confuses_and_ignores_fox_news_and_the_pundit_class_.html Read this bda.
Bda,
The teabaggers were never a grass roots movement … they always existed inside the Republican political box
OWS is a real grass roots movement and the political rules don’t matter to them. Political parties don’t matter to them. Comparing the two is an exercise in sight prevention
(HenMan – pun intended)
Bda,
You don’t get it … you’re arguing from inside the box … OWS is outside the box