R2OK!

Clive55 · Joined: 08 Dec 2006 Posts: 1336

We are seeing riots & mayhem in the streets of Tunisia. Over excitable BBC correspondents have been hailing this as "people power" an "uprising" & the "awakening" of the "Arab Street"
They talk about possible domino effects with "people power" unseating "repressive" regimes in Jordan & Egypt.
Interesting that the countries the BBC correspondents single out as "repressive" are the two Arab regimes which have begun to democratise & are allies of the USA & have peace treaties with Israel.

We saw pictures of a small group of jihadist fanatics outside the Tunisian embassy in Amman, Jordan. The reporter excitedly talked about this as the start of an "uprising" in Jordan & furthering the struggle for "Democracy" in the Arab world.

We saw the same excitable nonsense spoken when the Revolution in Iran took place. And look at the result. A fanaticly repressive government developing nuclear weapons & destabalising the region. Remember the first action of "Revolutionary Iran"? Taking US embassy staff hostage, stoning to death "adulterous" women & invading Iraq.

The Jordanian & Egyptian regimes are very stable, thank God, & we will not see them overturned. But if we did we would see Iranian puppet regimes in place in Jordan & Egypt. This would result in the end of peace treaties with Israel & the start of suicidal regional wars.

And the anger of the "Arab street" would not only be vented against Israel- more at risk would be the plummy British "Arabist" ambassadors & journalists over there who would be seen as nothing more than "imperialists" & be torn limb from limb.

As to Tunisia itself, it is just a couple of decades since Islamist "militants" were blowing up thousands on the streets of that country.

Do we REALLY want a return to that????

Clive55 · Joined: 08 Dec 2006 Posts: 1336

I don't know much about Tunisia, but do we really want to see the Mob take over a relatively stable Arab country?

Lebanon is the only Arab country to have flirted with democracy & they are heading for yet another civil war!

Clive55 · Joined: 08 Dec 2006 Posts: 1336

I've just been reading up about Tunisia. As I expected, one of the more moderate & tolerant of Arab countries.
It is also one of the more liberal Arab countries in terms of civil rights. It is one of the few Arab countries where Women have equal rights under the law.
It is also one of the few Arab nations where the Jewish minority are not only not persecuted, but are actually protected by the regime from racist Arab mobs.

Do these western liberal reporters & commentators really want to see Tunisia become another hotbed of intolerance & fanatiscm? Seems like it

Blondehedgehog · Joined: 16 Sep 2010 Posts: 286 Location: UK

Tunisia was run by a despot who did not let people have their say. 9Like many other leaders in North Africa

As it is the trouble started by a guy just wanting to feed is family...an educated guy. There are many like him in Tunisia. That is why the trouble started. I am sorry to see looters and robbers get on the bandwaggon. This is.... at the moment a secular revolution and I hope it stays that way.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12198039

Having lived in Egypt for the past 5 years I would in no way say that this is a stable country. I can see problems here and there have been ....but never reported in the west. The only trouble with Egypt is that it will probabily not be secular as the Muslim brother hood are waiting in the wings. The young people are not as educated as Tunisia If a revolution hits..... there there will be more of a blood bath

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/uprising-brings-joy-to-tunisia-ndash-and-fear-to-the-regions-autocrats-2185820.html
_________________
I like hedgehog crisps

Clive55 · Joined: 08 Dec 2006 Posts: 1336

Blondehedgehog, there may be secular elements involved in the unrest, but I have my doubt as to whether a secular, moderate government can come to power in an Arab/Muslim country as a result of revolution.
Iran (of course not an arab country, but a Muslim country in an adjacent region) is an example
In 1979 there were alot of secular elemments involved in the revolution- but of course it was the islamists who took over in Iranj & we all know the result.

As to those guys demonstrating outside the Algerian Embassy in Amman- some of them were certainly the same guys demonstrating in solidarity with AHmajinidad as he repressed opposition groups in Tehran. I recall the banners calling for "Death to" the "Zionist counter-revolutionaries" in Iran!

undiscovered · Joined: 15 Sep 2010 Posts: 650 Location: Peterborough

Tunisia will not go the way of Iran, it is too reliant on the western pund/ dollar/euro 50% of working people in Tunisia work in the tourist industry.
The only trouble now is the few police who are loyal to the ousted President but the army which by all accoutn very popular on the street will stop it. Yes this guy needed kicking out, it's all over now nothing to see will be the message quite quickly.
The new government will have to get on it very quickly. What they need more than anything else is an opposition party /parties that's part of the reason for the trouble
_________________
You will hear gospel and rhythm and blues and jazz, all those are just labels, we know that music is music.

Blondehedgehog · Joined: 16 Sep 2010 Posts: 286 Location: UK

I dont see Tunisia going the way of Iran....they are open minded and not so hard Islamic.

This guy wrote a good piece

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/the-brutal-truth-about-tunisia-2186287.html
_________________
I like hedgehog crisps

Clive55 · Joined: 08 Dec 2006 Posts: 1336

Blondehedgehog · Joined: 16 Sep 2010 Posts: 286 Location: UK

A government set in place......

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12209621
_________________
I like hedgehog crisps

ColinB · Guest