Bloggers Park

Egypt unrest

Posted On Sunday, January 30, 2011 at 02:14:15 AM

The building of the National
Democratic Party goes up in flames in Cairo on Saturday

• Egypt has, for the past few days, been embroiled in riots as the Egyptian people take to the streets protesting Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year-old reign. While violence rocks Cairo, the Internet cut off, and Mubarak refuses to step down, the world waits to see the outcome of this story. Will change come to Egypt, or will the 82-year old president hold onto his office? I hope justice prevails, and the violence and bloodshed taking place in Egypt, while terrible, buys freedom from an unjust rule and true democracy for a beleaguered nation.

http://oneangryqueer.blogspot.com/2011/01/chinese-govt-blocks-egyptian-unrest.html

• The civil unrest in Egypt is gaining more attention among investors, and it could be one reason that the US stock market is struggling at the end of the week. Given that events in Egypt come after the overthrow of the government in Tunisia, more people are wondering about political stability from Morocco to Lebanon. Investors are concerned about contagion that will lead to broader instability. The Suez canal is a key transportation chokepoint. Egypt is a strong US ally and its cold peace with Israel is considered an important element of American regional policy. If the Mubarak government falls, the ramifications would be tough to predict. Therefore, as civil unrest has risen and the government has taken more draconian steps to rein in the protests, the standard “fear” assets, such as gold and the dollar, have started jumping.

http://blogs.wsj.com/marketbeat/2011/01/28/egypt-unrest-starts-to-rattle-other-markets/

• So what, the cabinet resigns? I think, they’re missing the point. The people want Mubarak to resign, not his rubber-stamp so-called government. How dumb to think people won’t notice that he’s stayed in power.

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/01/29/latest-developments-in-egypt-protests/

• Sacking his cabinet? Mubarak, just like other thickskinned politicians, doesn’t seem to get the message. He’s the one that needs to go — or didn’t he notice it was pictures and posters of him being torn down, burnt, and spat on?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1351656/Egypt-protests-Egyptian-President-sacks-entire-cabinet.html

• Mubarak has tried the dictator’s old ploy: a direct appeal to the people; unfortunately, it may be too late. He now has three options: he can negotiate; he can use extreme force, or he can pack his bags for Saudi Arabia. I can’t see him leaving for Saudi Arabia — so that leaves him with two options. Personally, I think he’ll negotiate to win time: hoping that he can covertly eliminate the opposition before it can organize itself. So what about the demonstrators? They must keep up the pressure and win the army over to their side — then Mubarak might just take that long holiday!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/29/egypt-protests-government-live-blog