[Scott Collins]

I'm curious to how members see the situation in Egypt. We have 968'ers from all over the world, so chime in. What do you think?



Was it a military coup?



Was the military acting on the will of the Egyptian people?

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[lbpesq]

It definitely wasn't a coup - a coup has two doors and a trunk, It's not a hatchback or a middle eastern country!



(sorry, couldn't resist)

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Inkedupfatboy]

Actually I couldn't care less.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Rap]

Ask mr Obama. It's only a coupe if you call it a coupe!

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[ds968]

The link below leads to a chart which explains everything , though not the specific answer to Scott's question



http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worl...AAAph6.jpg

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[kzem1]

Definitely a military coup on behalf of the people.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Inkedupfatboy]

The hardline clerics over there actually want to tear down the pyramids. They are claiming that the pyramids are the last symbol of the idolatry. That the technology to tear them down has never been available until now. They don't seem to care that tourism to the pyramids is huge and the main source of survival for most or their citizens.



When i hear things like this, it makes me not really care too much what happens to them. If they are willing to sacrifice that much on behalf of a religious opinion then they can just leave us out of it.



I also think we have no business mucking about in Syria. People in the Congo, for example Rwanda, Angola and others, have been hacking themselves to death with machetes and Ak-47's for decades? Where was Obimbo's concern then?



The United States needs to stop being so concerned with everyone else and stop trying to play policeman to the world. We have too much to worry about here.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Rap]

Perhaps the way to understand this is to accept that a country that is under 240 years old should not think that they will change the ideology of countries with thousands of years of history, religion, cultural animosity and hatred. They hate us because we are infidels. Tracking chips and financial deposits should be required from those entering the US who are from Muslim countries, those that are at war with us or threaten us.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[kzem1]

Amen Rap

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Inkedupfatboy]

I don't care if people come to this country, but they have to follow the process. If they don't follow the process, then they need to be deported. The middle eastern countries have been fighting for over 2000 years...No one is going to get elected here and change that in four years or even eight. It has been tried how many times now? I say let them kick the crap out of each other until there is only one left then we deal with them.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Rap]

Better yet, why not make the Middle East one large refugee camp for all of the unhappy Muslims. They would be able to worship and live among only the true believers, no infidels, and could set up whatever form of refugee gov't they chose. The US could be barred from giving any aid because we are the enemy. The worlds financial system could lock them out because in their minds it is corrupt. Any and all business they might have would be limited to their own geographic areas and only to fellow Muslims. There would be no reason for any country, except perhaps Russia, to concert with this refugee govt. Should there be disagreements among the various religious factions then they would be able to settle their own disagreements without interference by infidels within their own refugee region.



Travel to areas outside these refugee territories would be restricted. There would be no reason for them to travel because again, we are the enemy infidels. This Muslim refugee gov't would be able to determine their own legal, financial and justice systems. This gov't could develop programs encouraging schooling, farming and business. They would become self sufficient and not need to interact with the infidels. This would allow them to develop a pure society without the taint of infidels or their corrupting influence. Imagine the cities that could spring up in these refugee areas built solely by currently unemployed angry disaffected Muslim youth. Imagine this vast labor pool which would be unaffected by the corruption of infidel unions!



What would we do about oil? This is indeed a problem. Perhaps we could allow sales of oil but the financial transactions would only be allowed between National banks. What I mean is that our money would flow to them to purchase the oil. The money would stay in the refugee banks. Since they would be locked out of the world financial system then that money would be used solely in the refugee area.



It would fund and pay for whatever this refugee gov't wanted to use it for but again would be restricted from flowing back out into the corrupt infidel banking institutions.



Grant you I might need to work on some of the fundamental details herein explained but I think we have a basis for allowing the Muslim world to have what they so dearly dream of. A Muslim territory, unblemished by infidel taint or corruption, able to grow and blossom into the paradise they all seek. Without of course the need to blow themselves and other innocents up to achieve that "one way ticket to paradise".

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[ds968]

Brilliant.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Chris Vais]

As an Egyptian friend of mine explained, to me, what occurred was in fact a military coup in support of the people of Egypt. The Egyptian army has always been the protector of the people. As Arab countries go, Egypt has a cosmopolitan population made of muslims, coptic christians and jews. Among the muslim population you don't see the pronounced sectarian divisions and factions that you see in say Iraq or Syria.



While it is true that the Muslim Brotherhood was democratically elected, it used it's position of power to abuse the people and the rights of other political groups in Egypt, hence the coup. Of all the predominantly muslim countries the best chances for a truly democratic political system really only exist in Egypt and Turkey and it has mostly to do with the religious diversity that exists in those countries.



The democratic political system in most muslim countries like Iraq is not going to happen as long as the populations loyalties fall along religious and tribal lines.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Rap]

I agree with you about Egypt. Yet a country can not keep significant segments of it's population in poverty and in a constant state of hunger. If you add on unemployment, then large swaths of these populations have nothing to lose when presented with opportunities that terrorist groups offer. Employment, food and an opportunity to grow and better oneself appeals to all cultures. This is basic survival and presents the track to follow!

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Chris Vais]

I would like to think that if Egypt can successfully weather this current storm and put an effective government in place, the money and effort spend in dealing government upheaval could be redirected to other purposes. The US could help reducing the amount of military aid that is provided to Egypt. I read recently where Egypt currently has more F-16 fighters than it can possibly use. The military aid dollars that Egypt receives never actual go to Egypt, instead, the funds are transferred from the US Treasury to the aircraft manufacturer and the planes are delivered. It is as if the US is using aid money promised to Egypt to keep US production lines open and armaments manufacturers in business. Strange business.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[kzem1]

Chris. Unfortunately, that does not sound strange for our government at all.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

how about we turn the whole region into one giant mirror, and stop all the silliness in one shot? when my sister used to fight, my parents would punish both of us, not caring who was right or wrong, or who started it. worked pretty well.



just a thought

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[rxter]

Chris I appreciate your intellectually-structured and balanced take on the situation.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.