WikiLeaks' First Scalp -- Tunisia

[Kidlicious]

It always pisses me off when people get confused and start valuing democracy in itself. Its just such a banal and arbitrary thing to promote from proxy to terminal because of good feelings and fuzzy thinking.

[Aeson]

Egypt's internet is down.

[giblets]

No, Speer's an idiot. The Ermächtigungsgesetz came *after* Hitler took power in January 33. It came *after* massive persecution against political opposition, esp. since the burning of the Reichstag. At this point all the commie MEPs had already lost their mandates, some of them were already (and illegally) jailed, same goes for a small part of the Social Democrats (SPD). The SPD was formally still legal, and the only party which voted against it, but under massive terror from SA gangs.

Noone in his right mind would declare this 'democratic'. It's a result of massive pressure, open violence and persecution.

Interesting. For someone who used to go by "Albert Speer" he sure doesn't know much about the Nazis.

[dannubis]

Sssst. He still thinks it is a kind of rice dish...

[Wezil]

The headquarters of the ruling National Democratic Party were ablaze in Cairo on Friday night, shortly after a curfew came into force, live footage carried by Al Jazeera television showed.

State television confirmed the building was set on fire.

NDP branch offices in several other cities around the country were also set on fire or attacked during the day, witnesses said.
More related to this story

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, in his capacity as head of the military, announced a curfew in main cities starting from Friday. “According to what some provinces witnessed in terms of riots, lawlessness, looting, destruction, attack and burning of public and private property including attacks on banks and hotels, President Hosni Mubarak decreed a curfew as a military ruler,” a state TV announcer said.

The curfew is to last from 6 p.m. (local time) to 7 a.m. in Cairo, Alexandria and Suez.

[MrFun]

I think it's in the long term interest of the United States for countries to be governed by the consent of the governed. Inasmuch as this revolution leads to a better alignment of the government with the governed, I am for it.

We can stop holding our breaths now. DanS approves of darkies around the world to have freer government.

[Lorizael]

While democracy may not always be superior to dictatorship (or other forms of government), freedom is always superior to repression. People should always be able to choose how their lives will be governed, and people born in dictatorships are pretty much never afforded that choice. If a group of people decide that they want one man to rule over them until that man's death, that's okay. But if one man (with the help of some hired goons) decides he wants to rule over a group of people, that's not okay.

[Wezil]

Well said.

At least in a democracy we can enjoy the illusion that our voice actually matters.

[N35t0r]

Also, if you claim moral superiority because of your freedom, going around supporting dictators is kind of hypocritical...

[Hauldren Collider]

Also, if you claim moral superiority because of your freedom, going around supporting dictators is kind of hypocritical...

This is not a choice between dictatorship and democracy, it is a choice between dictatorship and a worse dictatorship. Don't think for a second that Hamas would be any better than Mubarak, and expect it to be worse.

[Wezil]

Fortunately the Muslim Brotherhood hasn't been in the forefront of this unrest and seems to be playing catch-up like others.

Anything could happen in a political void of course but from what seems to be happening is the army is going to take at least short term control to prevent anarchy.

[C0ckney]

HC

[Al B. Sure!]

Don't think for a second that Hamas would be any better than Mubarak, and expect it to be worse.

How the heck would Hamas get voted into power in Egypt? Hamas is a Palestinian organization.

You mean the Muslim Brotherhood?

[N35t0r]

This is not a choice between dictatorship and democracy, it is a choice between dictatorship and a worse dictatorship. Don't think for a second that Hamas would be any better than Mubarak, and expect it to be worse.

Which would be at all relevant if I was referring to Egypt...

Besides, your point nedds for whoever succeeds Mubarak to be worse than him and manage to instate himself as dictator as well... If the Egyptian people oust one dictator because they're fed up with the oppression, what are the chances they'll tolerate an even more oppressive one?

[MOBIUS]

HC repeatedly proves himself to be a rank hypocrite on virtually every subject he tries his hand at.

The US is scared that Egypt will turn into an Islamist nation which is A) why they've been propping him up all this time; and B) why when the people finally take over, they will be be enemies of the US in one way or another. Since the 50s the US has had this almost unerring ability to sow the seeds of this particular self-fulfilling prophecy...

Iran in 1979 springs to mind as a particularly good example.