While American News Focus On Tea Parties, Egypt Shuts Down Internet During Revolts
Things just got real in Egypt after days of protest and revolt. No longer just blocking Twitter and Facebook to prevent news being shared, the government of Egypt has shut down all internet access after a video of a protester being shot went viral. Sean Paul Kelley has been the go to site for info on Egypt:
This is not a joke. The internet has been turned off in Egypt, 15 minutes after AP posts this horrible video of man being shot. Bodes ill for protesters. Egypt has also disabled the use of SMS/texting in all domestic phones. News trickling out that electricity and water have been suspended as well.
You can read more of SPK here.
Sadly, almost none of this is making it to American news, being far more interested in examining ad nauseam the tea parties and the latest ridiculous committee assignments in the Senate. Reportedly, Hillary Clinton couldn't even get her call taken in an attempt to broker for a democratic solution. And even more violence is predicted for tomorrow.
Egypt's interior ministry has said it will take "decisive measures" against anti-government protesters who plan further demonstrations on Friday.
The warning comes after days of deadly clashes with police that have killed at least five people on the third day of violence across the country.
Egyptians have been urged to join mass protests tomorrow, demanding the overthrow of the President's government.
Major demonstrations are expected following Friday prayers after the Muslim Brotherhood backed the unrest.
The Brotherhood is the largest power structure in Egypt besides the army and state.
And don't look now, you neo-cons telling us that a democratic Iraq would be a shining aspiration to the rest of the Middle East, but things don't look much more stable in Tunisia and Yemen either.
The ruling class shut down the internet. Good. Shutting down the internet is a sure way of getting everyone out in the streets, wide awake and free of their electronic media induced trance-like state. There's probably no better way to get people networking than to shut down the internet.
"Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob"
-= Franklin Delano Roosevelt =-
In America probably yes. But in Egypt the activists are using the internet and social media to organize and spread the information about the protests. So more people actually show up. We'll see how it works though. I hope you are right.
"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
http://bgpmon.net/blog/?p=450
Sometimes the ones up are the ones with real-time deep packet inspection. I don't know that, but under the circumstances, I'd be cautious.
My favorite video so far, in English is from a Egptian student here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vo5Fn1-2E8o
Oh and you leave off that not just M.B. but El Baradei is back in Egypt and has said he will be "on the streets" today.
Thanks.
Corruption favors the wealthy.
El Baradei is there. If anyone has the moral authority to stop this from escalating into a bloody civil war he does.
Hasa Diga Eebowai
Aaaand it looks like the last ISP went down just now?
This will be wall to wall on Anderson Cooper 360. He is a human interest story kind of guy no matter where in the world it happens. As a champion of the 'land of the free' Cooper will be the eyes and ears of the oppressed. He will become the internet that they no longer have. His journalism will shine the light on the tactics of these oppressive leaders that they are blacking out. We are all counting on you Cooper!
"Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob"
-= Franklin Delano Roosevelt =-
You make me laugh :)
Before enlightenment - chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment - chop wood, carry water.
Until they figure they have milked it for all the $ and ratings they can , then F em , drop the story like a hot potato .Haiti for example , the gulf , it's a long list .
They did three and a half minutes on it...
then they went back to coddling republicans and general fomenting of empty political bickering. We'll have to see what Friday brings. Maybe Cooper will be back from the zoo.
They are doing a spot on that poor lady that prosecutors turned into a criminal for sending her kids to the wrong school district though. That's better than FOX Channel would ever do.
"Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob"
-= Franklin Delano Roosevelt =-
I see the FBI has got forty warrants , going after Wiki leaks mirror providers . Do you trust this government if push comes to shove and the people finally rebel and demand a real change ?
Shouldn't the FBI be investigating right wing violence instead of trying to cover up government corruption?
"Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob"
-= Franklin Delano Roosevelt =-
Once US/state govt secrets are out in the public domain, they cease to be secret.
The initial person(s) who stole and or leaked the secrets from their govt file servers are in deep doo doo, but any org which serves them after they are out there in the wild is not doing anything illegal under US law.
Purely a political social oppression tactic.
Ya, good point.
So why is the FBI engaging in a political social issue?
There's no politics or social issues in the FBI ! No religion either.
"Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob"
-= Franklin Delano Roosevelt =-
Wikileaks is changing the world that 2 bushes could not
Talk about spreading democracy and freedom. The real way. The genuine way. Not the pretend way to screw people over and steal their resources and impose a police state dictator to rule over them and screw them some more. Good point.
"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
if the people in this country got fed up with the assholes who are actually screwing us (banksters, corrupt politicians, etc.) and took to the streets, would the news report it?
NOBODY 2012
if they did? Do you think its a good idea to begin with?
Hasa Diga Eebowai
Might be a far better strategy for everyone to quietly move their money into credit unions.
Then find people they can primary in the next democratic election.
"Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob"
-= Franklin Delano Roosevelt =-
like an independent judiciary and a multi-party freely elected legislature should not be lightly abandoned. Even if they put Rahm Emmanuel back on the ballot.
Hasa Diga Eebowai
Or would they shut down the internet and black out CNN coverage?
"Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob"
-= Franklin Delano Roosevelt =-
People self-immolating in public, Tunisia falls, now Egypt. With this, soaring commodity prices, and Wikileaks, shit is getting crazy in Northern Africa. I wonder if some of those kings and princes in the Persian Gulf are starting to feel on edge?
All I can say is no love lost for these asshole authoritarian dictators. The sooner they are gone the better. Democracy takes priority over`whether the particular country is a strategic foreign policy asset of the United States.
"Fascism is capitalism plus murder." Upton Sinclair
Love the quote, too!
Reverse Corporate Personhood!
The funny thing with the Greenspan quote is, even though it sounds introspective, I don't think he was actually feeling introspective when he said it.
"Fascism is capitalism plus murder." Upton Sinclair
Democracy is what is needed. Peaceful.
"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
over right now. Brilliantly I might add.
Hasa Diga Eebowai
Well dang, not surprising they have a revolution now. <<<>>>
And in gratitude for Joseph's wisdom Egypt took in the Israelites and fed them through a time of great famine.
And though I was dragged to it kicking and screaming, Donny Osmond was really good in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Some things. Go figure.
Corruption favors the wealthy.
Emphasis mine:
According to a BBC political analyst these are the first demonstrations in Egypt started by and populated mostly by the youth of Egypt.
Heretofore all opposition demonstrations have been grey-beared Islamists - the Muslim Brotherhood - who have decided to come out and back these protests, after the protests began!
BIG change for Egypt, regardless the outcome of the present situation.
Egyptian youth have become politically energized.
That genii does not get put back into the bottle!
Democracy is too important to be entrusted to politicians.
Rise Up!
Protest!
There is a huge amount of pent up frustration there. The problem is, that if the situation spirals out of control, then a transformation to to a stable and more responsible government will become very very difficult. The Islamist fundamentalists and the other more moderate groups will do battle. That happened in Iran. The moderates in Iran did not win.
Hasa Diga Eebowai
These guys
http://www.elshaheeed.co.uk/home-khaled-said-...
Their English UK page.
This is why
https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=146...
Rumor has it when they started they asked El Baradei and he was fine with endorsing but wouldn't even come back for it (to Egypt). They asked the M.B. and they were even more distant, so after Tunisia they did it anyway. Now, the "regular players" want in!
If you know anyone in the Middle East/North Africa get them to download TOR (torproject.org) *before* they start shutting the internet down. It's not much use *after*.
This is so exciting. There's real change happening in other parts of the world. And its inspiring to follow it and read about it. Thanks C&L and Nicole!!
The best place I've found to get up to date information on these developments is the worldnews section of Reddit.
It is really unfortunate that more american news outlets aren't covering this. I guess they have their reasons.
here's an enlightening interview done by a real journalist on Al Jazeera
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmEcQMwprIo&fe...
We're all in this together.
"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
"...It had already been reported that two protesters in Suez had been killed by the police and countless more arrested when Clinton told reporters at the State Department: “Our assessment is that the Egyptian government is stable and is looking for ways to respond to the legitimate needs and interests of the Egyptian people.”
"This was an unmistakable signal that the United States was drawing the line in Egypt and would not withdraw its support for Mubarak. It was tantamount to a green light to the regime to employ any degree of force necessary to crush the popular uprising."
"This did not take long. In the early morning hours of Wednesday, riot police violently dispersed several thousand demonstrators who had camped out in Cairo’s central Tahrir Square. Plain clothes police beat demonstrators and reporters were attacked and jailed..."---Barry Grey
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2011/jan2011/egy...
eighty six odd men women and children immolated in their home by military forces.
Thats the only conclusion to be drawn when utilities are shut down and basic necessities are denied to its citizens.
Is there really any difference any more between the oligarchs and the mobs?
"Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob"
-= Franklin Delano Roosevelt =-
between the oligarchs and the mob and the Republican party ?
Excellent Article.
"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
Wikileaks / Anonymous can use my networks as they please. No need to ask. Just please let me know you're in.
Humpty Dumpty was pushed.
i think cnn;
everyone else was chattering away about palin vs bachman.
police corruption and the police publicly beating to death an activist who video taped that corruption?
cause by whomever the media deems worthy?
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