Not sure how everyone feels about the events in Egypt right now, but I thought that this video was worth sharing.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThvBJ...ayer_embedded#



(mods - not sure if the regional forums allow political discussion, so feel free to move at your discretion).

 

That's a powerful clip man.. I just left Egypt on Monday. The people I met there are very loving and kind. If you told them that you're American, They wanted to shake your hand and kiss you. I learn so much over there. This trip really opened my eyes to how a lot of Americans talk **** about Muslims and not have a freakin' clue what the religion is about. A brother of Islam is a brother of mine. I truly can not think of a reason to feel anger or hatred towards anyone of another race or religion. I actually look forward to learning something from them.

sorry but, I 'm getting really passionate about people who just want to be free of all the negative and suppressive institutions and governments. Power to the people of Egypt. I love you guys!

 

now that is the fastest typing I've ever done... Thanks for sharing VV.

 

It's what I do man. Thanks for the input - I completely forgot that you were over there last week. Did you get to see any of this first-hand at all?

It can be very depressing to hear people making blanket statements about a religion/ideology as a whole. I'm always of the belief that the general population of the planet is made up of good well-intentioned people. The outliers are the ones who are the most outspoken and thus bring the hatred upon whatever belief they claim to be a part of (which they usually are not).

I'm right there with ya Hound.

 

yeah i recognize some of the streets in Cairo that are on the news. I walked the main bridge over the Nile several times. Now there is a tank on fire sitting there. I didn't notice any uprising or discontent. However, They were watching the events in Tunisia very closely. I was one day away from being stuck in a middle eastern revolution.

MAD A - I hope your family is safe and doing well. They are in my prayers.

 

It's just beyond me out primitive people are.. That is what I really don't understand.. It's like this country is less then 250 years old and you don't see tanks on fire on my quiet suburban streets.

It is very sad to see how a few corrupt people can destroy their own country with their "policies"

I guess I am more of a pessimistic and find it hard to see the good in people..

 

I'm happy for the people there challenging their government and wish them well. A dictatorship rarely works out... especially a military dictatorship. Sadly these ugly times happen to get what's right.

Blanket statements are unfortunately very common as many are quick to judge and with the events that occurred in our history, it's very easy to just point and blame. Fundamentalists will always cause trouble, and they exist in all religions. Quite frankly, most of these crazies live within our borders and most aren't even Muslim. Think Waco, think Warren Jeffs, etc.

 

Yea i read that they control most of the citizens income to $2 a day thats crazy im suprised this didn't happen sooner.

 

As long as it doesn't get heated, this type of thread is fine in the DFW forum. We just want to solicit discussion amongst people we personally know.

 

I'm sure Mad A knows many

 

I just read this from one of the links highlighted on Yahoo's main page and was stunned. Can you image if this happened to us here?

"According to Renesys, a US Internet monitoring company, Egypt's four main Internet service providers cut off international access to their customers in a near simultaneous move at 2234 GMT on Thursday.

Around 23 million Egyptians have either regular or occasional access to the Internet, according to official figures, more than a quarter of the population."

Mobile telephone networks were also severely disrupted in the country on Friday. Phone signals were patchy and text messages inoperative.

British-based Vodafone said all mobile operators in Egypt had been "instructed" Friday to suspend services in some areas amid spiralling unrest, adding that under Egyptian law it was "obliged" to comply with the order.

Egyptian operator ECMS, linked to France's Telecom-Orange, said the authorities had ordered them to shut them off late Thursday.

"We had no warning, it was quite sudden," a spokesman for Telecom-Orange told AFP in France.

The shutdown in Egypt is the most comprehensive official electronic blackout of its kind, experts said.

 

I think I'm a bit confused by your statement.. The people aren't able to really control what goes on in their country.. They're ruled by an authoritarian government.. It literally is as close to a modern day dictatorship as you can get basically.

You see they want change.

I remember when "my people" wanted change as well and there were riots in the streets (Watts Riots in Cali) and there were plenty of examples in the south during the Civil Rights movements.. Even more recently when Rodney King was beaten...

The US isn't above getting "primitive" either..

I think it really just depends on the movement.. This movement I think is worth it.. The people are demanding a say in their government.. Heck, that's what the US was founded on.. That's why we broke away from Great Britain in the first place.

I'm w/ Hound on this.. And I'm glad we've stepped in and said that they have the HUMAN right to peaceful assembly and we've got their backs, Japan has stepped up too from what I've read.

Glad you made it back OK Hound, I remember you said you were going..

 

Im Egyptian and this is the best thing to ever happen to our country. Mubarrak G2G. He messed up the country and made life so difficult over there. I visit all the time, but I lived there for a year back in 1997. When I went back 10 years later in 2007, the country was changed for the worse in every way. I love it though, all my family is there, I have no Uncles or Aunts here, just my parents, bros and sis. I was born here (I'm a first Gen) but I don't feel at home. The only time I do is when I go to Egypt. Mubarrak sits there in his home with all the money enjoying life to the max watching his people suffer. Tunis was a wake up call to the Egyptians. Mubarrak promised that his son will no longer take presidency and also gave us the VP we wanted. Although we wont stop till Mubarrak is out!!

 

In all honesty I support the people for fighting for a government that works for them. What I am worried about is certain radical leaders seeing this as an opportunity to influence the people .

 

To elaborate on the internet outage...the figure that I saw was 88%. As in, 88% of the internet was shut down in Egypt. Their economy obviously can not sustain that kind of blackout for any real length of time - it will have to come back on soon.

The reasoning is obvious - kill their ability to organize. However, people will always find a way. Last I read, they are organizing via word of mouth at local mosques and meeting places. The regime in Egypt basically shut the gate after the horse had already gotten out.

They need to see that the world supports them and "has their back" so to speak. I have even heard of peaceful demonstrations being organized here in the States this week. I think it's great that Americans are standing up for citizens of another country who simply want to be free.

I do agree with STFU_NOOB though...this is a classic situation where a religious nutjob will attempt to garner attention and support in trying times and end up repeating what has already happened. Hopefully that does not occur.