Middle East revolutions

[Dipso]

I have several Libyan students. On Wednesday afternoon they all received phone calls from their embassy in London - a hundred miles from where they live in the UK- telling them they were expected to attend a pro-Gaddafi rally on Thursday. Hey presto, there was a pro-Gaddafi group outside the Libyan embassy yesterday to counterbalance the anti-Gaddafi protest.

http://www.demotiximages.com/news/59373 ... on-embassy

[Patrick Bateman]

I think glenn and you would make an excellent sitcom pairing.

glenn is forced to return to high school when it's discovered his diploma wasn't signed by his principal. raggatwin is laid off because of Tory cuts and ends up teaching in the US. They're a lovable madcap odd couple, and it could run for years.

[raggatwin]

A match made in heaven lol

[glennjridge]

You say that what you have said is not racist, ascribing negative stereotypes to a whole group of people is racist. There are many shades of opinion in the middle east. It is not a monolith.


Edited once by 'The Teacher'.

nobody cries anything but crocodile tears over the fire bombing of dresdan, because it just so happened, that despite that every.... single.... german wasnt a nazi, it just so happened that the nazi party was the asshole card in the poker game of life at that point.

well at this point, it happens that the muslims are at the fore front of being out of control. thats not racism, its just the way it is.
btw, I think "mad men" is already taken.

[raggatwin]

Were you drunk when you wrote that? Clearly not all Germans were nazis for me to write that - ididnt - would be equal to the blanket statements you make with regard to the suppossed monolith that is muslim public opinion. Your statements are racist, they are essentialist in naure and irrational in their 'logic'.

[gregf]

The protests in Libya are gaining strength. Good.

Interesting report Dipso. Still, it's a good sign that they feel ok to tell you.

An awful report from Bahrain. At 3am police moved in to attack the protesters
and 50 of them were killed. Apparently the police are all from foreign countries
like Pakistan because the Sunni king does not want Shia in the police.

[Dipso]

It is really kicking off in Libya. Gaddafi isn't known as Mad Dog for nothing. According to various reports on Twitter, the internet and mobile phone networks have been more or less cut off. There are no media on the ground so no video, photos, reports etc.

http://twitter.com/#!/search/%23libya

[raggatwin]

He's known as the mad dog cos he's not our friend.

[Dipso]

[gregf]

The way I see it Western intervention in the past caused the problem of these dictators
regardless if they are pro-West like Egypt, or anti-West like Gadafi in Libya
and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Iran. Let there be freedom where the people want.

Unlike others, ahem, I think Middle East people are just as entitled to freedom
and democracy as anyone else. Even if the 5th fleet have to find a new base,
and the price of petrol goes up for a while, we will all be better of in the long run.

[glennjridge]

I dont know why western people are so happy about these protests. there seems to be confusion with muslims about who is a real muslim and who isnt. as long as they have that problem the ones who are willing to be the most violent will win out.so it will start off alright and then the radical fundamentalists will seep in an take over silencing the moderates.

[raggatwin]

He was called mad dog in the 80s when he wasn't our friend. Funny how pound notes sre very important when it comes to deciding who are friends are not the fate of those under whom we are doing business with.

[raggatwin]

[quote="glennjridge"]I dont know why western people are so happy about these protests. there seems to be confusion with muslims about who is a real muslim and who isnt. as long as they have that problem the ones who are willing to be the most violent will win out.so it will start off alright and then the radical fundamentalists will seep in an take over silencing the moderates.[/quote)


Do you know any muslims, on what evidence do you base your comments?.

You don't know till you know.

[gregf]

Of course there is a risk of fundamentalists taking over. But what is the alternative ?
More CIA backed dictators torturing their people for another 50 years ?
That is what caused September 11. It is a failed strategy. Even the CIA knows this.

The only way forward is to do the right thing even if it takes 50 years to sort itself out.
Grant them freedom and democracy. It helps if one sees them as human beings
deserving the same dignity and rights as anyone else.

[Dipso]

He was called mad dog in the 80s when he wasn't our friend. Funny how pound notes sre very important when it comes to deciding who are friends are not the fate of those under whom we are doing business with.

Most definitely. Obviously Britain has cosied up to Libya in recent years because of all that lovely oil. Without oil, Libya would be getting the full Kim Jong-il treatment.