On Lache Rien-French Anthem In Solidarity With The Egyptian Revolution!

I've been watching lots of news coverage but getting most of the info from twitter.  Following a few different people including reporters.  Most info comes from there first and the majority later confirmed and reported.  AJE has had good coverage but I can't watch their live feed.  CNN as far as news stations goes has been quite good in covering a lot more of what is going on then other stations seem to be.  They also seem to match up more with what the on the ground activists and protesters are reporting.   Just have to ignore the fluff and ominous 'Crisis in Egypt" cur ominous music and graphics.  

Unfortunately since the gov't (though they deny it) has cracked down so hard on journalists there are no live feeds of the square anymore.  Reporters are getting in though, some by sneaking and sending info.  AJE says they will cover what happens today no matter what.   Still some of the best info is coming from straight from people involved.

US Plan: Replace Mubarak With Torture-Linked 'CIA Point Man'

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/02/us-plan-replace-mubarak/

"A US plan to see Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak leave office immediately is reportedly in the works and would see a transitional government formed by Mubarak's vice president, a former head of Egypt's spy agency and an alleged 'CIA point man' who facilitated the 'extraordinary rendition' of terrorism suspects. US officials are discussing a plan with Egyptian officials that would see Mubarak quit immediately and hand over power to a transitional government run by Vice President Omar Suleiman, the New York Times reported Thursday.

CNN staff in Cairo believe the government crackdown is coming soon - maybe in a few hours. Armoured personnel carriers are full of riot police.

ETA: looks peaceful this morning, with the video feed back on.

That cartoon is typical yanqui anti-Muslim propaganda, and not terribly self-aware.

Barack Obama affirms his Christianity

Why must a head of state genuflect before the mullahs of his country?

The Muslims built the pyramids? Who knew?

BertramPotts piece from the dead zone of National News...warrants lively attention:

"Laurence Cannon has broken with the measured (some would say cowardly) response of other Western leaders, to take a bold pro-dictatorship stance.  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/in-break-with-us-ottawa-backs-gradual-handover-in-egypt/article1893451/

"There were steps, I understand, that were undertaken this morning by the vice-president. I think these steps form part of this orderly transition effort toward reforms, and ultimately an election." "

Mr. Cannon did call for a transition to democracy, but did not emphasize speed. When asked whether he wants an "immediate transition," he replied: "An orderly transition that should bring us to the reforms we've talked about."

That is different tone from several other Western nations. On Wednesday, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said that when the United States calls for transition to begin now, "now means yesterday." On Thursday, the leaders of Germany, France, Britain, Italy and Spain called for democratic transition to begin "immediately."

The unwillingness to call for Mr. Mubarak to quit now drew criticism from NDP foreign affairs critic Paul Dewar, who argued Mr. Mubarak's refusal to cede power is increasing the likelihood of chaos, not lessening it. "I think Canada is letting down the pro-democracy forces by not being declarative," he said.

Pretty sickening, hope the Liberals also have enough sense to call out this shameful stance from our government."

Not to rouse Jack from his slumbers.

I took the cartoon down becasue it's giving an inaccurate message about the revolution.

Might  Egypt, too, go "theocratic" as a reaction to the "application of lip service freedom in favour of stability?"  Or something else?

The Events in Egypt: A Cautionary Tale - by William BLum

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=23078

"The events in Egypt cannot help but remind me of Portugal. Here, there and everywhere, now and before, the United States of America, as always, is petrified of anything genuinely progressive or socialist or even too democratic, for that carries the danger of allowing god knows what kind of non-America-believer taking office. Honduras 2009, Haiti 2004, Venezuela 2002, Ecuador 2000, Bulgaria 1990, Nicaragua 1990...dozens more. Anyone, anything, if there's a choice, even a dictator, a torturer, is better."

Rising Food Prices and the Egyptian Tinderbox

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=23079

"Underlying the sudden volatile uprising in Eypt and Tunisia is a growing global crisis sparked by soaring food prices and unemployment. The Associated Press reports that roughly 40 percent of Egyptians struggle along at the World Bank-set poverty level of under $2 per day.."

A general strike and a halted economy probably doesn't help the food situation.

The US would be wise to stop giving Egyptian dictator $3.5US million per day in arms as "aid" and use that money to feed Egyptians instead.

Its a bribe to keep the peace with Israel.

After Mubarak: What's Next? - by Stephen Lendman

http://mostlywater.org/after_mubarak_whats_next

"Things are seldom what they seem, skim milk masquerades as cream. Visceral street anger is real. What's orchestrating it, however, is suspect, especially its likely Washington impresario, implementing long-planned regime change for new faces containing old policies, leaving deep rooted hardships unaddressed.."

Swapping a Dictator for a Torturer in Egypt - by James Ridgeway

http://www.thiscantbehappening.net/node/435

"As things now stand, the United States appears ready to have Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak tossed out in exchange for his newly named Vice President, Omer Suleiman, the Egyptian spy-master. That is, maintaining the status quo by swapping one  dictator for another. Of course Israel must sign off on this deal...But Suleiman looks like a nasty piece of work.."

ElBaradei Appears an Unconvincing Alternative

http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=54365

"Among most activists, ElBaradei doesn't enjoy the credibility needed to become president of the country.."

Egypt Youth to Announce Formation of 25 Person Negotiating Body

http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/5005.aspx

"The coaltion of youth movements providing field leadership to the pro-democracy protesters is to announce tomorrow, the formation of a 25 person committee mandated to negotiate with the Egyptian state..'

I can't imagine the pro-democracy movement ever accepting Suleiman. Getting rid of Mubarak must also mean getting rid of Mubarak cronies!

Mubarak Resigns as Ruling Party Head

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/163779.html

"Hosni Mubarak resigned as head of National Democratic Party (NDP) along with the party's secretary general.."

One desperate move after another, on Obama/Clinton's orders, to stave off extinction.

Not in Egypt Not Anywhere: Why Leftists Should Not Support a 'Peaceful Transfer of Power' - by David Ker Thomson

http://www.counterpunch.org/thomson02042011.html

"Sodomizers come and go but Crawford's query is the perennial question of leaderville: should we offer them vaseline? The brave and good among us ar brutalized by the leaders that democratists thought were a good idea to install.."

ElBaradei Wants to Negotiate with the Army

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,743762,00.html

"the country is falling apart, politically and economically. I would prefer to speak to the army leadership soon to explore how  we are going to achieve a peaceful transition without the bloodshed.."

Egypt's Social Crisis: Financial Bonanza for Wall St  - by Michel Chossudovsky

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=23099

"In a bitter irony, Mubarak's decision to remain as head of state with Washington's approval has served the interests of international investors, currency traders and speculators.."

NoDifferencePartyPooper wrote:

Secular and Devout, Rich and Poor, They Marched Together  - by Robert Fisk

"But one of the blights of history will now involve a US President who held out his hand to the Islamic world and then clenched his fist when it fought a dictatorship and demanded democracy.."

Hillary Clinton (who is looking more like Donald Rumsfeld every day) just betrayed the Egyptians, and democracy.

Quote:

In her most striking remarks, the US secretary of state said: "There are forces at work in any society, particularly one that is facing these kind of challenges, that will try to derail or overtake the process to pursue their own agenda, which is why I think it's important to follow the transition process announced by the Egyptian government, actually headed by vice-president Omar Suleiman."

Yes, who better to lead a democracy than Egypt's top spy? I wonder what links he has to the US spy networks.

Tariq Ramadan and Slavoj Zizek on Al Jazeera discuss the prospect of revolution.

Egypt's Revolution: Creative Destruction for a 'Greater Middle East?' - by F William Engdahl

http://www.voltairenet.org/article168381.html

"Controverting majority opinion, F William Engdahl maintains there is nothing spontaneous about the mass protest movements in Arab countries and sees them as a replay of the US -orchestrated colour revolutions that triggered regime change in post-Soviet countries. The contours of a US covert strategy for the region have been clear for some time. The question is, will it work?"

The Division of Egypt: Threats of US, Israeli, NATO Intervention?  - by Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=23102

"Pharoahs, ancient or modern, all have their end days. Mubarak's days are numbered, but the powers behind him have not yet been defeated. Egypt is an important part of America's global empire. The US Government, Tel Aviv, the EU and NATO all have significant interests in maintaining Egypt as a puppet regime. Egypt is not free from bondage yet."

Cry Freedom: Cairo Crowds Shred the Lies of the Power Players - by Chris Floyd

http://www.chris-floyd.com/component/content/article/1-latest-news/2083-...

"The American power structure has been set reeling by something that is simply outside the boundaries of their mental universe: a non-violent, non-sectarian, non-ideological, leaderless revolution by ordinary people."

Muslim Brotherhood Rejects Khamenei's Attempt to Hijack the Revolution

http://warincontext.org/2011/02/08/muslim-brotherhood-rejects-khameneis-...

"Ikhwanweb, the Muslim Brotherhood's official English website editor in chief Khaled Hamza has stated that the current uprising in Egypt is a revolution of the Egyptian people and is by no means linked to any Islamic tendancies, despite allegations, nor can it be described as Islamic.."

It sounds like another US managed counter-revolution from above.

From a Dead Kennedys song.  Still relevant today.

"Stars And Stripes Of Corruption"

Finally got to Washington in the middle of the night
I couldn't wait
I headed straight for the Capitol Mall
My heart began to pound
Yahoo! It really exists
The American International Pictures logo

I looked up at that Capitol Building
Couldn't help but wonder why
I felt like saying "Hello, old friend"

Walked up the hill to touch it
Then I unzipped my pants
And pissed on it when nobody was looking

Like a great eternal Klansman
With his two flashing red eyes
Turn around he's always watching
The Washington monument pricks the sky
With flags like pubic hair ringed 'round the bottom

The symbols of our heritage
Lit up proudly in the night
Somehow fits to see the homeless people
Passed out on the lawn

So this is where it happens
The power games and bribes
All lobbying for a piece of ass

Of the stars and stripes of corruption
Makes me feel so ashamed
To be an American
When we're too stuck up to learn from our mistakes
Trying to start another Viet Nam
Whilke fiddling while Rome burns at home
The Boss says, "You're laid off. Blame the Japanese"
"America's back," alright
At the game it plays the worst
Strip mining the world like a slave plantation

No wonder others hate us
And the Hitlers we handpick
To bleed their people dry
For our evil empire

The drug we're fed
To make us like it
Is God and country with a band

People we know who should know better
Howl, "America riles. Let's go to war!"
Business scams are what's worth dying for

Are the Soviets our worst enemy?
We're destroying ourselves instead
Who cares about our civil rights
As long as I get paid?

The blind Me-Generation
Doesn't care if life's a lie

so easily used, so proud to enforce

The stars and stripes of corruption
Let's bring it all down!
Tell me who's the real patriots
The Archie Bunker slobs waving flags?
Or the people with the guts to work
For some real change
Rednecks and bombs don't make us strong
We loot the world, yet we can't even feed ourselves
Our real test of strength is caring
Not the toys of war we sell the world
Just carry on, thankful to be farmed like worms
Old glory for a blanket
As you suck on your thumbs

Real freedom scares you
'Cos it means responsibility

So you chicken out and threaten me

Saying, "Love it or leave it"
I'll get beat up if I criticize it
You say you'll fight to the death
To save your worthless flag

If you want a banana republic that bad
Why don't you go move to one
But what can just one of us do?
Against all that money and power
Trying to crush us into roaches?

We don't destroy society in a day
Until we change ourselves first
From the inside out

We can start by not lying so much
And treating other people like dirt
It's easy not to base our lives
On how much we can scam

And you know
It feels good to lift that monkey off our backs

I'm thankful I live in a place
Where I can say the things I do
Without being taken out and shot
So I'm on guard against the goons
Trying to take my rights away
We've got to rise above the need for cops and laws

Let kids learn communication
Instead of schools pushing competition
How about more art and theater instead of sports?

People will always do drugs
Let's legalize them
Crime drops when the mob can't price them
Budget's in the red?
Let's tax religion

No one will do it for us
We'll just have to fix ourselves
Honesty ain't all that hard
Just put Rambo back inside your pants
Causing trouble for the system is much more fun

Thank you for the toilet paper
But your flag is meaningless to me
Look around, we're all people
Who needs countries anyway?

Our land, I love it too
I think I love it more than you
I care enough to fight

The stars and stripes of corruption
Let's bring it all down!
If we don't try
If we just lie
If we can't find
A way to do it better than this
Who will?

Great podcast from rabble:

Quote:

On Feb. 4, journalist Firoze Manji walked in on Egyptian theorist Samir Amin and Mamdou Habashi, a well known Egyptian activist talking politics, and joined right in. Here's the recording he made.

Hello and welcome to Needs No Introduction on rabble.ca.

What you're about to hear is an impromptu conversation between Egyptian theorist Samir Amin, Pambazuka editor Firoze Manji and Egyptian activist Mamdouh Habashi. Amin is probably best known for developing the theory of Eurocentrism. Habashi is a well-known Egyptian left-wing activist. And Manji's publication Pambazuka is produced by a pan-african network of over 2600 volunteers and organizations.

The three men met on February 4th at the World Social Forum in Dakar, Senegal. A few hours before, Mamdouh had arrived straight from Tahir Square in Cairo. This was not a planned interview - Manji began recording as he saw where the discussion was going. Although the sound quality reflects the spontaneity of the recording, this is rare opportunity to hear these three in discussion, with analysis fresh from the events unfolding in Egypt. We hope you'll enjoy this first collaboration between rabble.ca and Pambazuka News.

So a theorist, an activist and a journalist meet in Dakar after a protest...

The Crisis in Egypt Continues But Networks Are Leaving. Here's Why  - by John Doyle

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/television/john-doyle/the-crisi...

"You have to ask why the stars flee and the story fades? Is Egypt suddenly insignificant? Inconsequential? Or is it an inconvenience? Is it the media or is it the audience? Bring on the Lady Gaga profile. Yes, that's whay viewers want, not those perplexing people in Egypt.."

Harper Follows Israeli Line on Egypt

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/article/936046--siddiqui...

"While the world is cheering on the Egyptian uprising, Harper is siding with the despotic regime..It's scandalous that a Canadian prime minister is saying that. And whereas he has always tried to please Washington to protect our trade, in this case he has preferred to please Israel.."

add it to the pile