Register  |  Sign In
View unanswered posts | View active topics It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 10:36 am



Reply to topic  [ 81 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2, 3, 4  Next
 The Arab Spring 
Author Message
Where will you be?

Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2004 4:50 am
Posts: 11675
Post The Arab Spring
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/06/05 ... ns-leader/

It is now Yemen's president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has fled his country. He apparently was injured in a severe attack on his palace that killed at least seven guards. There are rumors that wood is embedded in his body. He is seeking treatment in Saudi Arabia, and is unlikely to return.

So after months, the Arab Spring has pushed out a third dictator. Whose next? Qaddafi? Syria's equally evil Bashar al-Assad? Will there be a nation named Palestine first? And after that, where else? There's many countries that are still having major protests but have been less covered by the media, such as Iraq. Not that I think we Americans will let that happen, and I'm not sure if the Iraqis would really want to be that unstable next to Iran, either.


Last edited by MovieDude on Sat Aug 17, 2013 1:48 am, edited 1 time in total.



Sun Jun 05, 2011 8:03 am
Profile
Where will you be?

Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2004 4:50 am
Posts: 11675
Post Re: Another victory for the Arab Spring
Also, I wonder what precedent this might create for the people to use violence against their leaders? I don't know what else would have gotten Saleh to leave the country. I guess it will depend on if this actually causes his regime to collapse or not.


Sun Jun 05, 2011 8:06 am
Profile
Where will you be?

Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2004 4:50 am
Posts: 11675
Post Re: Another victory for the Arab Spring
http://aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/20 ... 28416.html


Sun Jun 05, 2011 8:10 am
Profile
Extraordinary
User avatar

Joined: Fri Mar 11, 2005 7:13 pm
Posts: 11015
Location: Warren Theatre Oklahoma
Post Re: Another victory for the Arab Spring
The guy was going to step down in 30 days but these separatists have to have everything their own way. I love how NATO continues killing Libyans while Syria has killed more civilians than quaddafi during the rebellion he's been dealing with. Luckily for Syria they don't have oil to hold Europe hostage with so NATO has no reason to bomb them all day long even though their leaders are actually shooting down civilians. Regardless, I think we shouldn't be interfering in any of these Arab countries internal affairs .


Sun Jun 05, 2011 11:22 am
Profile
Where will you be?

Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2004 4:50 am
Posts: 11675
Post Re: Another victory for the Arab Spring
Another good article on the who's who in this developing story in Yemen: http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/06/05-0

An Egyptian friend of mine told me that both Yemen and Syria WILL topple their regimes in less than six months. At this point, with the state of the media and the momentum this movement has built, I believe it's only a matter of time before Bashar is ousted from Syria too. However, at least Thomas Friedman believes that would have a more serious impact on the region than the others:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/22/opini ... ria&st=cse
"This is a fight to the death now — and it’s the biggest show on earth, for one very simple reason: Libya implodes, Tunisia implodes, Egypt implodes, Yemen implodes, Bahrain implodes — Syria explodes. The emergence of democracy in all these other Arab countries would change their governments and have long-term regional implications. But democracy or breakdown in Syria would change the whole Middle East overnight.

A collapse or democratization of the Syrian regime would have huge ramifications for Lebanon, a country Syria has controlled since the mid-1970s; for Israel, which has counted on Syria to keep the peace on the Golan Heights since 1967; for Iran, since Syria is Iran’s main platform for exporting revolution into the Arab world; for the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah, which gets rockets from Iran via Syria; for Turkey, which abuts Syria and shares many of its ethnic communities, particularly Kurds, Alawites and Sunnis; for Iraq, which suffered from Syria serving as a conduit for jihadist suicide bombers; and for Hamas, whose leader sits in Damascus.



Sun Jun 05, 2011 1:27 pm
Profile
Powered By Hate
User avatar

Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 8:55 pm
Posts: 7578
Location: Torrington, CT
Post Re: Another victory for the Arab Spring
Thomas Friedman's a total hack. But yes, Syria going would be almost as massive as the Saudis or UAE being toppled.

_________________
It's my lucky crack pipe.


Mon Jun 06, 2011 12:43 pm
Profile
Where will you be?

Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2004 4:50 am
Posts: 11675
Post Re: Another victory for the Arab Spring
Why is Friedman a hack? The Arab Spring kind of proves the thesis of his book The World is Flat, and he's consistently outspoken on the Middle East and energy policy. I don't hear anyone else articulate the connection between the two as well as him even though it's entirely valid.


Mon Jun 06, 2011 1:51 pm
Profile
Powered By Hate
User avatar

Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 8:55 pm
Posts: 7578
Location: Torrington, CT
Post Re: Another victory for the Arab Spring
He's a horrendous writer who comes up with the most hideous metaphors imaginable, and not a terribly original thinker. His writings on China and globalization are almost fetishistic and his work on Iraq shows the lack of foresight and unwillingness to be wrong that he and most Anglo-American "public intellectuals" in the media have right now. I also love his waffling on energy policy.

_________________
It's my lucky crack pipe.


Tue Jun 07, 2011 2:18 pm
Profile
A very honest-hearted fellow
User avatar

Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2004 8:02 pm
Posts: 4767
Post Re: Another victory for the Arab Spring
Tyler wrote:
Thomas Friedman's a total hack. But yes, Syria going would be almost as massive as the Saudis or UAE being toppled.

Totally agree. Matt Taibi had a great takedown of Friedman two or three years ago. Disagree with 80% of what Krugman says, but at least he is readable and can usually argue his side well.


Sat Aug 20, 2011 3:33 pm
Profile WWW
Where will you be?

Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2004 4:50 am
Posts: 11675
Post Re: Another victory for the Arab Spring
I don't want to speak too soon (as it looks like I did with Yemen) but signs are encouraging that Qaddafi is done. I'm not sure if he's now in Algeria as BBC is suggesting or what, but the rebels seem to pretty definitively control of Tripoli.


Next up, Syria. It won't happen overnight, but I think Bashar Assad will be out by the end of the year.


Mon Aug 22, 2011 12:56 am
Profile
Extraordinary
User avatar

Joined: Fri Nov 11, 2005 9:51 pm
Posts: 11637
Post Re: Another victory for the Arab Spring
I say good riddance Gaddafi is an evil man and what replaces him can't be worse (unless it goes into anarchy). I think he is still in Libya. If not in Tripoli, he is probably in the south in one of the desert communities.


Mon Aug 22, 2011 12:48 pm
Profile WWW
Extraordinary

Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2004 1:13 pm
Posts: 15197
Location: Planet Xatar
Post Re: Another victory for the Arab Spring
Jedi Master Carr wrote:
I say good riddance Gaddafi is an evil man and what replaces him can't be worse...

You're imagination needs exercising - - don't be surprised if the future sets new standards for evil governments, both in Libya and closer to home.


Mon Aug 22, 2011 1:47 pm
Profile
The Original
User avatar

Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 10:19 am
Posts: 9808
Location: Suisse
Post Re: Another victory for the Arab Spring
News say that the rebels are now inside Gaddafis palace. Though no Gaddafi there.

_________________
Libs wrote:
FILMO, I'd rather have you eat chocolate syrup off my naked body than be a moderator here.


Tue Aug 23, 2011 1:01 pm
Profile
Extraordinary
User avatar

Joined: Fri Nov 11, 2005 9:51 pm
Posts: 11637
Post Re: Another victory for the Arab Spring
Yeah CNN has the best coverage of it, and are showing the inside of the compound. Some of these rebels are crazy though shooting off guns everywhere and even RPGs in celebration.


Tue Aug 23, 2011 1:43 pm
Profile WWW
Extraordinary

Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2004 1:13 pm
Posts: 15197
Location: Planet Xatar
Post Re: Another victory for the Arab Spring
Rebels are terrorists we like, right?


Tue Aug 23, 2011 1:55 pm
Profile
KJ's Leading Pundit
User avatar

Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 4:45 pm
Posts: 63026
Location: Tonight... YOU!
Post Re: Another victory for the Arab Spring
No.

_________________
trixster wrote:
shut the fuck up zwackerm, you're out of your fucking element

trixster wrote:
chippy is correct

Rev wrote:
Fuck Trump


Tue Aug 23, 2011 3:41 pm
Profile
Extraordinary

Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2004 1:13 pm
Posts: 15197
Location: Planet Xatar
Post Re: Another victory for the Arab Spring
Chippy wrote:
No.

Oh really?


Mon Aug 29, 2011 11:11 am
Profile
KJ's Leading Pundit
User avatar

Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 4:45 pm
Posts: 63026
Location: Tonight... YOU!
Post Re: Another victory for the Arab Spring
Oh really what?

_________________
trixster wrote:
shut the fuck up zwackerm, you're out of your fucking element

trixster wrote:
chippy is correct

Rev wrote:
Fuck Trump


Mon Aug 29, 2011 3:14 pm
Profile
Extraordinary
User avatar

Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2004 9:30 pm
Posts: 12096
Location: Stroudsburg, PA
Post Re: Another victory for the Arab Spring
To a conservative, Muslim = Terrorist. They's practically synonyms.

And Christians are never terrorists, no matter how many children they camps they shoot up in Norway, Holocaust museums they attack, Federal buildings in Oklahoma they bomb, or abortion doctors they murder in the name of their god.

In all seriousness, I agree that the threat of Muslim extremists is greater than that of Christian extremists. But all Muslims are not terrorists because of the actions of some of their followers any more than all Christians are.

_________________
Buy my books! http://michaelaventrella.com


Image


Thu Sep 08, 2011 6:03 pm
Profile WWW
Deshi Basara
User avatar

Joined: Thu Sep 27, 2007 3:36 pm
Posts: 5322
Location: The Interstice
Post Re: Another victory for the Arab Spring
McVeigh was not motivated by religion - but rather by anti-government sentiment. The same was basically true of Breivik - Christianity played a more distant role in his act. Also, there is no street in the world filled with celebrations of folks like Breivik and McVeigh. Support for martyrdom is overwhelming in the Islamic world.

_________________
Top 10 Most Impressive Box Office Opening Weekends

Most Impressive Openings: Honorable Mentions


Thu Sep 08, 2011 6:33 pm
Profile
Extraordinary
User avatar

Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2004 9:30 pm
Posts: 12096
Location: Stroudsburg, PA
Post Re: Another victory for the Arab Spring
Proud Ryu wrote:
McVeigh was not motivated by religion - but rather by anti-government sentiment. The same was basically true of Breivik - Christianity played a more distant role in his act. Also, there is no street in the world filled with celebrations of folks like Breivik and McVeigh. Support for martyrdom is overwhelming in the Islamic world.


I agree. But it's not universal. Not every Muslim agrees any more than every Christian agrees. That's the point -- when you paint ALL Muslims like that, it's inexcusable.

And McVeigh got lots of support from a right-wing Christian group even though he himself may not have been motivated my religion; and if you start saying religion plays a "distant role" to all of these things I could easily make a similar argument about most of the Muslim attacks (with the exception of those "you drew a picture of Muhammad" attacks)

_________________
Buy my books! http://michaelaventrella.com


Image


Fri Sep 09, 2011 11:21 am
Profile WWW
Homo Dperious
User avatar

Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 2:26 am
Posts: 14460
Location: Everywhere
Post Re: Another victory for the Arab Spring
Saleh is back in Yemen. Assad says he is not worried. I think both will remain until the end of the year.

Egypt is allied with the US, and Libya required a war.

I'm just saying...guns are hard to argue with.

EDIT: Saleh will resign in days. :)


Sat Oct 08, 2011 12:13 pm
Profile ICQ
Homo Dperious
User avatar

Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 2:26 am
Posts: 14460
Location: Everywhere
Post Re: Another victory for the Arab Spring
The libyan army was lead by islamists, some of whom were listed by the US as terrorists before, but that doesn't make the army terrorist (or the US right in the past).


Sat Oct 08, 2011 12:23 pm
Profile ICQ
Forum General
User avatar

Joined: Wed May 10, 2006 3:53 pm
Posts: 8636
Location: Toronto, Canada
Post Re: Another victory for the Arab Spring
http://news.yahoo.com/gadhafi-libyas-le ... 12662.html

Gadhafi, Libya's leader for 42 years, killed


Another one bites the dust...

_________________
The Dark Prince

Image


Thu Oct 20, 2011 11:11 am
Profile WWW
Z
User avatar

Joined: Sat May 13, 2006 2:20 pm
Posts: 7952
Location: Wherever he went, including here, it was against his better judgment.
Post Re: Another victory for the Arab Spring
Image

_________________
"Der Lebenslauf des Menschen besteht darin, dass er, von der Hoffnung genarrt, dem Tod in die Arme tanzt."
- Arthur Schopenhauer


Thu Nov 17, 2011 1:59 pm
Profile WWW
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Reply to topic   [ 81 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2, 3, 4  Next

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 8 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
cron
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group.
Designed by STSoftware for PTF.