http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15809739

Bottom line - the Egyptian junta (which it is, for all attempts and purposes), has..surprise, surprise, still not turned over power and hasn't produced a date for when they're turning power over to an elected government.

Ladies and gentlemen - your thoughts?

11/20/2011 11:38:56 AM

Completely predictable?

11/20/2011 11:44:04 AM

I was just feeling like invading a new country.

You know, empty nest syndrome.

11/20/2011 11:49:25 AM

I predicted this months ago.

But you are incorrect about one thing: I thought the date for the elections had been announced, some time next month.

11/20/2011 3:25:26 PM

Quote :

"WHO FUCKING CARES"

11/20/2011 3:53:00 PM

All those people who predicted a quick, smooth, easy transition to Democracy must be so agonized by this news

Best part is, the faction most ardently opposing the military rule and pushing for democratic elections is...The Muslim Brotherhood!

In other words, no matter who wins, right wing talk radio will find a way to say things are worse. Oh well, give it time and we'll just use a CIA coup kick out whoever they elect and put a new puppet in place, Shah style. Here's looking forward to 9/11 II in 30 years.

11/21/2011 10:51:37 AM

So fucking predictable, anyone who thought this was the new middle east democracy revolution was a moron.

The only country that might have yielded success was Iran, but without any support, or at the very least moral support, that uprising was stamped out.

Iran is further along the track of mid east enlightenment. They lived under a pro-western dictator, then he was over thrown and now they suffer under a tyrannical oppressive Muslim theocracy. Egypt, Libya, Syria, Saudi Arabia....they still are in, or finishing, phase one, getting rid of their dictators (not all pro western). Next, they will become oppressive Muslim theocracies, and then finally decades from now, maybe the people will finally get sick of living under oppression and revolt for a true democratic system.

Then they will squander that system and become complacent, and will eventually slowly become more oppressive and controlled. We are currently in this phase.

11/21/2011 1:45:33 PM

If only every revolution could go as smoothly as the American one. No civil wars. No civil rights violations. Just smooth sailing from the very start.

11/21/2011 3:19:13 PM

Who said ours went smoothly? We had to fight for freedom, fight each other, and fight those civil rights battles to make this a better country.....then we got complacent and started allowing big brother to take control of our lives and freedoms.

11/21/2011 7:26:41 PM

I think trapezius said it well when he explained that Arab culture is fundamentally at odds with democracy.

11/21/2011 11:06:41 PM

pretty much

11/22/2011 1:45:19 AM

Arabs aren't the hindrance of democracy in this case, a military junta with a limitless supply of American weapons and money is.

11/22/2011 1:52:15 AM

^^^^ the irony is that the Civil War, itself, created the Civil Rights crisis and the big brother syndrome you now decry. it's like the people saying we should have a small and limited federal govt knew what they were talking about...

11/22/2011 8:56:26 AM

Quote :

"Egypt, Libya, Syria, Saudi Arabia....they still are in, or finishing, phase one, getting rid of their dictators"

Tunisia is in phase 3 (dictator out, new government in).

Egypt and Libya are in phase 2 (dictators thrown out, waiting for elections).

Syria and Yemen are in phase 1 (trying to throw dictators out). Bahrain was here some months ago, but is back to phase 0, with the kind help of Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, and Morocco are in phase 0. Note that these are the countries who have monarchs. These will be the last ones to reach any higher phase. Among these countries, the first 6 (i.e., the rich and oil/gas rich Gulf Arab countries) will be the absolute last, and among them, the first one (Saudi Arabia) will stay in phase 0 the longest (for at least a century or two), and furthermore, will not let any of the other 5 degenerate into phase 1.

Quote :

"I think trapezius said it well when he explained that Arab Islamic culture is fundamentally at odds with democracy."

The Qur'an says there is no separation of state and religion; they are one and the same. And among Muslims around the world, Arabs are the ones who stick to Islam the most (or at least show it from the outside, as in my experience, they are the most hypocritical Muslims, actually), mainly because Islam came here, right in the heart of the Arabian peninsula.

11/22/2011 9:32:39 AM

Quote :

"The Qur'an says there is no separation of state and religion; they are one and the same."

All Abrahamic religions are fundamentally Authoritarian. The only way Democracy managed to flourish in the West was because of decidedly Secular elements of the Enlightenment. That is to say, Democracy flourished in Europe in spite of Christianity. It's like people forget all about the hundreds and hundreds of years that your average European peasant answered to his Lord who answered to his Monarch who answered to the Pope.

Government in the Bible is mostly related through cities like Babylon, and the general theme throughout is "If your city isn't based around worshipping Me (like New Jerusalem) I hope you like fire and brimstone" In general, God frowns on just about any human assembly that isn't based on around worship of Him.

Bottom line is that Democracy will spring in the Middle East not when they become less Muslim, but when they become less religious in general, that's what had to happen in the West.

[Edited on November 22, 2011 at 10:44 AM. Reason : .]

11/22/2011 10:41:07 AM