tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35137734.post8523784944233677697..comments2023-10-10T10:50:56.735+02:00Comments on Inanities: Delta bluesSarah Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02146943046266549277noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35137734.post-29967603655756394422008-04-10T23:54:00.000+02:002008-04-10T23:54:00.000+02:00i am not, unfortunately, up to speed on my history...i am not, unfortunately, up to speed on my history. but a general strike by egyptians of all classes has not happened as far as i can remember. and i cannot remember such turbulent times and strikes every now and again in egypt in the 90s.<BR/><BR/>i agree with most of those who posted. the encounter between the people and the government needs time to coalesce into a collective memory, or memories, before it breaks into consciousness with sufficient force. and is held there. what you are doing is just that, midwifery of that emergent spirit. kudos to you and all the bloggers and chroniclers of these times in egypt. <BR/><BR/>i am not sad at all because i believe, hope and see a future that is already conceivable in our minds.Qhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05959946684475332968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35137734.post-1565330088404755592008-04-09T07:07:00.000+02:002008-04-09T07:07:00.000+02:00Sorry, I cant help myself.So now some polysci prof...Sorry, I cant help myself.<BR/><BR/>So now some polysci professor on the program is saying that the goal of 'these people' was to get a kid or two shot, and preferrably dead, so that it is used for PR purposes. Amr and co. all agreed with him.<BR/><BR/>Now, where did I hear this "they want their kids dead so that they can use it as PR in front of the rest of the world" before?<BR/><BR/>How do these people sleep?<BR/><BR/>--fully polyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35137734.post-54463291955903716342008-04-09T07:00:00.000+02:002008-04-09T07:00:00.000+02:00I've been watching Al-Qahera Al-yom for the past c...I've been watching Al-Qahera Al-yom for the past couple of days and I think I have lost my ability to reproduce. So apparently it was just some thugs behind what was going on in Mahalla. WTF? It takes a whole fucking army to have a 2-day standoff with our brutal police, so were all these thugs outsiders to Mahalla? Are we supposed to believe this? Who are these people then? No one ever says.<BR/><BR/>Bedan awi el sara7a. And that MP from Mahalla who called crying, what a pretentious bunch of bastards. I have always hated that fucking idiot Amr Adib, despite being a fellow baldie. But this is just too fucking much.fully_polynomialhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02626627354385237871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35137734.post-26278913672049345202008-04-08T00:24:00.000+02:002008-04-08T00:24:00.000+02:00If history teaches anything, it's not always the b...If history teaches anything, it's not always the best laid plans that work out, often it's the seemingly random sequence of events that spiral into a meaningful result. While the regime may not have toppled tonight, I definitely hear creaking.<BR/><BR/>As for missing out on the action, next time you'll be in the heart of it so just stay positive and prepared. That's the way life works.Basil Epicurushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10882946059262129059noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35137734.post-83529565062917857442008-04-08T00:00:00.000+02:002008-04-08T00:00:00.000+02:00:____________________) maybe this might halt Jimmy...:____________________) maybe this might halt Jimmy the first's assention to the throne. have the no shame!!!! a a yeoman's effort A.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35137734.post-20396159130131670042008-04-07T16:47:00.000+02:002008-04-07T16:47:00.000+02:00I think the 6th was a setback in the momentum of c...I think the 6th was a setback in the momentum of civil action. There was a lot of confusion about the aims of the action. As you said previously, without clearly defined aims there will be a lack of focus. If the aim was, for example, to get a decent wage for teachers, or government doctors, then the action becomes focused, the measures of success tangible, and the aims realistic.<BR/>Many people I spoke to believed the aim of the action was to bring food prices down. Which, if true, is slightly illogical, as the price of commodities is dictated by a whole chain of people, from farmers, to importers, to distributors, and retailers. However, the ability to pay for basic commodities is linked to salaries and the welfare system.<BR/> <BR/>Also the types of actions were too many; don't buy anything, don't go out, don't work... how realistic is this for the vast majority of people. Even if I buy nothing today, I will have had to buy extra yesterday to cover for today. If I don't go to work today who will that affect? Probably my employer who really might be a nice person who pays good salaries. If the action was directed at ports or transport workers or truck drivers (like in France) it brings the whole country to a standstill.<BR/>And really, the success/failure of 6th April is impossible to measure, so people have no frame of reference for their action, nor any incentive to repeat it.<BR/>I fear the good intentions, and the basic ideas have been burned through a lack of clear communication, clear goals and definitions of success or failure (something tangible).<BR/>I fear the next call to action will, therefore, be met with greater apathy.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01565923873932260991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35137734.post-78933878005972723342008-04-07T12:22:00.000+02:002008-04-07T12:22:00.000+02:00heartbreaking story. great article. makes you wish...heartbreaking story. great article. <BR/><BR/>makes you wish you could do something.....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35137734.post-46492031146129485112008-04-07T08:28:00.000+02:002008-04-07T08:28:00.000+02:00Replying to anonymous about link not working:try t...Replying to anonymous about link not working:<BR/>try these for videos of Cairo 4/6<BR/><BR/>http://youtube.com/watch?v=sDCGzhsj9ms<BR/><BR/>http://youtube.com/watch?v=ywjk9y-7nL0Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35137734.post-3118515183374654462008-04-07T04:32:00.000+02:002008-04-07T04:32:00.000+02:00http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZAAIsxXrgUhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZAAIsxXrgUAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35137734.post-91494643884542187112008-04-07T02:51:00.000+02:002008-04-07T02:51:00.000+02:00the link to the youtube video doesnt work :( i wan...the link to the youtube video doesnt work :( i want to watch that video.. pls :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35137734.post-20320831000508828692008-04-07T00:15:00.000+02:002008-04-07T00:15:00.000+02:00well, no one was expecting a revolution, and like ...well, no one was expecting a revolution, and like zoss observes, 2-0 is not the final score. these things need to snowball, someone has to throw the first few flakes before it becomes unstoppable (and it would; if it didn't then that would indicate that things are improving, which is ultimately the desired outcome).<BR/><BR/>great reporting, but the tone left me blue bardo.<BR/><BR/>--fully polyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35137734.post-14998160037271319712008-04-06T23:49:00.000+02:002008-04-06T23:49:00.000+02:00good post, truly heartbreaking. i am sad. even sad...good post, truly heartbreaking. i am sad. even sadder that i saw nothing of this, did nothing.Forsoothsayerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02765993032234113659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35137734.post-84229383503446913862008-04-06T23:37:00.000+02:002008-04-06T23:37:00.000+02:00Ok the protest may not have gone as planned. Maybe...Ok the protest may not have gone as planned. Maybe people stayed home because they were frightened but this only pointing to the strength and relentless force of the government control. It doesn’t necessarily point to the lack of will for change. People want to stay alive so the did the safe thing. <BR/><BR/>But staying home was necessary because of the repression dealt out to deal with a real gathering voice of protest heard by the government on the days leading up to the protest. The people could have rejected the idea of the protest in the first place and listened to the government news broadcast the day before declaring it was not to be a vacation and everyone should go to work, but they didn’t. Much of Egypt was shut down. There was no ignoring the voice of the protest. It affected ever industry in Egypt. School busses did not even arrive to pick up the kids for school in many places. There were no studies in class. Almost the whole country was organized to be shut down and in relatively short period time, which is actually very impressive, quite a massive single day boycott. <BR/><BR/>Some woke up not knowing how the day was going to go, but throughout the day they came to feel a commonality with the way everyone stayed home and shared one passive act in acknowledgment that things must change. For such a large country to come to a stand still only sharpens the focus and the hope of acting as one to bring forward change. Even if it is a passive act of sharing a little burden and risk such as staying home and not buying, selling or working. <BR/><BR/>All of this accomplished and it was much more peaceful then it could have been. Of course we would have liked to have seen more. But it was a strong movement in the right direction. Congratulations. And thank you so much for writing the piece.<BR/><BR/>Also, here are a couple of carefully taken videos showing a relatively empty Cairo for Sunday and the line of green vans demonstrating the mass of police force released onto the city.<BR/>http://youtube.com/my_playlists?p=6D938D5900A3C51CAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35137734.post-46403013195038521202008-04-06T22:00:00.000+02:002008-04-06T22:00:00.000+02:00I'm so sorry. Sorry for your disappointment, sorr...I'm so sorry. Sorry for your disappointment, sorry for Egypt.<BR/><BR/>I'm also sorry you feel bad about leaving Mahalla, but I'm glad you weren't hurt - I know journalists in the past haven't always been able to stay out of the way of security force actions.<BR/><BR/>May the Mahalla martyrs rest in peace. May we all wake up tomorrow ready to do what we can to honor their memory, to keep fighting the good fight.<BR/><BR/>Good reporting, as always. Thank you.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35137734.post-63851367032866090802008-04-06T21:47:00.000+02:002008-04-06T21:47:00.000+02:00so 2-0 is your take on the outcome of today's batt...so 2-0 is your take on the outcome of today's battles, but what do you say of the war?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com