By John Ballard
To blog or not to blog. That is the question. When news stories are exploding like a batch of popcorn, it's hard to study every kernel. Next best option is a collection of links. So here is a list from this morning. Readers can do their own editing and commentary.
? Mona Eltahawy: "Mubarak is Our Berlin Wall" You Tube Video
?The Battle for Tahrir Square Antigovernment protesters in Tahrir Square clashed with supporters of President Hosni Mubarak on Wednesday. NY Times Diagram
?Evan Hill's photos of last night's actions, with captions...(Protesters captured around six Mubarak regime loyalists in an ad hoc 'prison' + others)
?International Committee of the Red Cross. One week into the protests that are shaking Egypt, the ICRC is working together with the Egyptian Red Crescent Society to gain a clearer picture of the humanitarian situation and the resulting needs.
?FP Magazine, Game over: The chance for democracy in Egypt is lost by Robert Springborg. One man's opinion -- The military high command, which under no circumstances would submit to rule by civilians rooted in a representative system, can now breathe much more easily than a few days ago. It can neutralize any further political pressure from below by organizing Hosni Mubarak's exile, but that may well be unnecessary.H/T Mark Lynch Tweet
?Pro-Mubarak groups cutting off food, water, medical supplies to Tahrir Sq LINK
?an interview with a captured Mubarak's thugsm they gave him 5000 pound!! You Tube video link. See translation in the comments.
?Picture -- Bloodied, bruised and standing for the dawn prayer in Tahrir Square this morning
?Alexander Cockburn: Talk of democracy from Obama and Clinton will not purge the record of US involvement. Cockburn is as predictable as Ann Coulter. Regardless of what happens, his take will remain the same. Problem is he's often right.
?Tweet: Protestor answers phone and says calmly, "sorry I'm in the middle of a rock fight, call me back." Heroes!
?Egypt's Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq apologized Thursday for past 24-hours' violence in Cairo, and pledged that those behind the clashes will be punished.� 'There is no excuse to attack peaceful protesters, and I therefore am apologising,' he told Egyptian-owned broadcaster al Hayat.� It was the second time Shafiq has apologized this week, having earlier told the country's youth he was sorry that the government did not listen to their calls for change sooner.� However, the BBC reported that other government officials continued to deny any state involvement in attacks Wednesday and overnight on reformist protesters, who for 10 days have been peacefully demanding greater democracy and that President Hosny Mubarak step down.
?The Arabist -- First-person account and opinion, latest post.
All the things happening now--the use of orchestrated, para-state violence; the depicting of dissidents and journalists as spys and traitors; terrifying the population so as to make it a choice between, as the president said, "chaos and stability"--are tools the regime has used many times before. But I've never seen it reach anywhere near this level before, because I don't think the regime has ever been this threatened before. Still, as so many others here, I am stunned at the damage--to the country's economy, its international profile, and most important of all, to its very social cohesion, its soul--Mubarak is willing to do to stay in power. We are either witnessing the ugly death throes of a regime, or the beginning of a long, terrible crackdown.
?Just up -- Mark Lynch's FP Post -- Egypt Endgame. (Spoiler: US to Egyptian military -- Mubarak must GTFO)
?Via three tweets, Sandmonkey has been arrested. NOT good news. This blogger has been a thorn in the side of the Egyptian authorities for years.
? Lisa Goldman's blog has a copy & paste repost of what Sandmonkey put up this morning. His blog is now suspended. Be sure to listen to his interview with Roger Simon from the previous link.
What's turned my stomach, other than the elites in the US Israel team & their Western allies confused opportunistic mouthings about our so-called basic principles, stability and concocted fears about the MB, is the media references to the "anti-government protesters". This reference seems to be always reserved for any group that wants what we have - i.e. pretend or decayed democracy - but wants to take it from one of our beloved dictators, butchers, or if you're a Clinton, Bush, or Blair an old family friend. The people in the streets are "pro-democracy" protesters. Even AlJazeera has switched to the anti pro rhetoric.
ReplyDelete>> Sandmonkey has been arrested.
ReplyDeleteAnd his blog account has been suspended.
Makes me wish I had copied the rest of his last post to you -- which was the part where he listed all the lies that the regime has recently been airing about the protests on state-controlled tv. Now that his account has been suspended, we can no longer access that information.
Geoff - equally disgusting is the phrase "pro-government protesters" applied in this case. We all know they are paid government thugs, many of them Mubarak's police in plain-clothes.
ReplyDeleteKat - have you tried the Wayback Machine?
John - High fives and kudos for your coverage of Egypt's events this last week. You've been immense.
Regards, Steve
Update via http://twitter.com/#!/bbclysedoucet :prominent #Egypt blogger @Sandmonkey released. Said he was "ambushed & beaten by police"
ReplyDeleteRegards, Steve
Thanks, Steve. This is an exciting time to be blogging.
ReplyDeleteI don't know about others, but my Facebook and Twitter feeds fiurnish me so many links I rarely look at my two aggregators.
This reference seems to be always reserved for groups who want what we have is to pretend that democracy or corruption - but who want to take one of our beloved dictators, butchers, or if you are a Clinton, Bush or Blair, an old family friend. People on the street is pro-democracy demonstrators.
ReplyDelete