Musician Forum - Band Discussion Board - BandMix

Talked to a gentleman today who lived in Egypt briefly. He's lived in many countries in the world and said without a doubt Egypt is THE MOST REPRESSIVE place he's ever been. "President" Mubarek is worth well over 45 BILLION dollars. Must be earning a pretty good salary. Our leaders talk about democracy and we try and spread it around the world, except in places like Egypt because Mubarek is our "friend." That is a giant double standard and one of the chief reasons that many Arabs hate our guts. Mubarek is a brutal dictator and I'll bet he's our friend because we have paid him handsomely to keep the peace with Israel. I think it's about time for Americans to STOP talking about what we want to see happen in other countries, like they have to behave according to our "rules." It's THEIR country. It's time to stop butting in other people's business. This gentleman told me that the vast majority of Egyptians are moderate Sunnis and that we shouldn't worry about the outcome of the unrest over there.

Yes, bob. If we kept to ourselves, the minority loud-mouths won't be able to demonize us so much that they gain power through our intervention. This has been our biggest mistake since the end of WWII - we meddle, piss off the indigenous ppl to the point that they accept radicals, or anyone that would oppose our meddling at their expense.

Our foreign policy has been teeming with hypocrisy for over 50 years. We have done our very best to keep other countries down & out...for what reasons, I don't know.

It is time to accept that "the American way of life" is for Americans, & not becessarily for everyone, but, if we TRULY want others to have it, we must accept that they have the power to reach for it on their own. We can advise, when that advice is requested, but we have no right to meddle, or try to force a watered-down "democracy" on anyone...let alone the forced dictatorships that we've backed for so many decades. Mubarak's just another in a long list of petty rulers that we've done our best to place & to keep in office, to our own detriment, in the end.

fisherman bob wrote:Talked to a gentleman today who lived in Egypt briefly. He's lived in many countries in the world and said without a doubt Egypt is THE MOST REPRESSIVE place he's ever been. "President" Mubarek is worth well over 45 BILLION dollars. Must be earning a pretty good salary. Our leaders talk about democracy and we try and spread it around the world, except in places like Egypt because Mubarek is our "friend." That is a giant double standard and one of the chief reasons that many Arabs hate our guts. Mubarek is a brutal dictator and I'll bet he's our friend because we have paid him handsomely to keep the peace with Israel. I think it's about time for Americans to STOP talking about what we want to see happen in other countries, like they have to behave according to our "rules." It's THEIR country. It's time to stop butting in other people's business. This gentleman told me that the vast majority of Egyptians are moderate Sunnis and that we shouldn't worry about the outcome of the unrest over there.

It's all about the Suez Canal, Bob. Always has been. Just like the middle east is all about oil.

Citizens changing Government, isn't that how it's saposed to work?[/b]

It would not mean as much to us had we "drilled here drilled now" when it was desired. But since so much of our energy passes through the Suez canal, this will affect us heavily.

So we should at least be interested. Should we take action? Not certain. I am not well informed enough about the details myself to have a coherent opinion. I just hope the Muslim Brotherhood does not coopt this for themselves.

KLUGMO wrote:Citizens changing Government, isn't that how it's saposed to work?[/b]

Has it? We just had a change. Working out for you?

Just kidding, bro. I never look at what is, I look at why. We are simply witnessing spiritual warfare of the grandest scale since the beginning of time.

Observe the visible and you can see what the invisible are up to. When the masses react as one, there is a spiritual power at work.

Alright Phil, NOW YOU ARE REALLY PISSING ME OFF!!!!!

You need a new keyboard so you are not "becessarily" causing all this trouble.

Wamt ne yo dend yiu pne. O hot olenty of rhem gloating arimd jere.

Your friend Flen.

It's all about the Suez Canal, Bob. Always has been. Just like the middle east is all about oil.[/quote]


I almost agree.
Though the Suez & the Oil are merely symptoms of the sickness of greed.

We are indeed, thanks to modern technology, able to witness some of the individual battles in the war between the universal forces of good and evil.

I believe there are much more forces of good in Egypt that will win the day there. I'm not sure about places like Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan...Shiites tend to be much more radical, hardline, than the Sunnis who are more numerous in northern Africa. I hope the forces of moderation win out there and their influence spreads to the other regions of the Arab world and win out there as well. Moslems are not going to disappear any time soon. The war on terror is a war against radical Islam, not against the moderate Moslems. We have no choice but to encourage those moderate forces who claim they are trying to promote democracy and hope they rule the day.

An awesome display of civil rebellion I wish them luck and success in their effort.

GlenJ wrote:Alright Phil, NOW YOU ARE REALLY PISSING ME OFF!!!!!

You need a new keyboard so you are not "becessarily" causing all this trouble.

Wamt ne yo dend yiu pne. O hot olenty of rhem gloating arimd jere.

Your friend Flen.

Could ya, Flen? This is most disconverting!

philbymon wrote:Yes, bob. If we kept to ourselves, the minority loud-mouths won't be able to demonize us so much that they gain power through our intervention. This has been our biggest mistake since the end of WWII - we meddle, piss off the indigenous ppl to the point that they accept radicals, or anyone that would oppose our meddling at their expense.

Our foreign policy has been teeming with hypocrisy for over 50 years. We have done our very best to keep other countries down & out...for what reasons, I don't know.

It is time to accept that "the American way of life" is for Americans, & not becessarily for everyone, but, if we TRULY want others to have it, we must accept that they have the power to reach for it on their own. We can advise, when that advice is requested, but we have no right to meddle, or try to force a watered-down "democracy" on anyone...let alone the forced dictatorships that we've backed for so many decades. Mubarak's just another in a long list of petty rulers that we've done our best to place & to keep in office, to our own detriment, in the end.

Phil for president!!!

Only if he gets a new keyboard.

Nav4c wrote:An awesome display of civil rebellion I wish them luck and success in their effort.

x2