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Right across the Arab world, freedom is now a prospect

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  • Right across the Arab world, freedom is now a prospect

    So can past wrongs be corrected?

    .................................................. ..........................
    Tuesday, 22 March 2011 - Robert Fisk

    From the mildewed, corrupted dictatorships is emerging a people reborn. Not without bloodshed and violence. But now at last, the Arabs can hope to march into the bright sunlit uplands

    In the dying days of the Ottoman empire, American diplomats – US consuls in Beirut, Jerusalem, Cairo and other cities – NGOs across the region and thousands of American missionaries, pleaded with the State Department and with President Wilson to create one modern Arab state stretching from the shores of Morocco to the borders of Mesopotamia and Persia. This, they believed, would bring a large part of the Muslim world into the democratic orbit of Europe and the West.
    Robert Fisk: Right across the Arab world, freedom is now a prospect - Robert Fisk, Commentators - The Independent

    the Sykes-Picot agreement
    Sykes
    sigpicFEAR NAUGHT

    Should raw analytical data ever be passed to policy makers?

  • #2
    What prospect?

    In Bahrain, the GCC is shooting up any kind of democratic prospects. In Egypt we're seeing a Turkey-style mlitary/religious combination taking power. In Libya, the coalition is supporting Gaddafi's former cronies and the most active fundamentalist-islamist group in the Middle East. In Syria, we'll probably see a 1982 style mass execution of demonstrants soon with casualties exceeding the Libyan civil war. In Yemen, the military is making its move to take power. In Tunisia we still have no stable "government" of any sort.

    As for the panarabic BS - will never happen. Those are dreams of the Baath. And we all know how that movement went in the various countries in the past six decades.

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    • #3
      Originally posted by kato View Post
      What prospect?

      In Bahrain, the GCC is shooting up any kind of democratic prospects. In Egypt we're seeing a Turkey-style mlitary/religious combination taking power. In Libya, the coalition is supporting Gaddafi's former cronies and the most active fundamentalist-islamist group in the Middle East. In Syria, we'll probably see a 1982 style mass execution of demonstrants soon with casualties exceeding the Libyan civil war. In Yemen, the military is making its move to take power. In Tunisia we still have no stable "government" of any sort.

      As for the panarabic BS - will never happen. Those are dreams of the Baath. And we all know how that movement went in the various countries in the past six decades.
      I am guessing thats a no then Kato ?
      sigpicFEAR NAUGHT

      Should raw analytical data ever be passed to policy makers?

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      • #4
        There are 2 kinds of people in a revolution:those who make them and those who profit.The question is now how to profit.
        Those who know don't speak
        He said to them, "But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. Luke 22:36

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        • #5
          It reminds me of the political situation in the Balkans, I don't beleive that the Arabs would be able to cooperate enough to peacefuly create a United Arab States.
          Last edited by USSWisconsin; 22 Mar 11,, 17:42.
          sigpic"If your plan is for one year, plant rice. If your plan is for ten years, plant trees.
          If your plan is for one hundred years, educate children."

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          • #6
            It would be more practical to merge the Arab states into several larger states (i.e. say Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco, and then Egypt, Libya, Sudan, and so forth). One single Arab superstate would be like merging all the Spanish speaking Latin American countries together. Simply too big and too many institutional differences.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by Mihais View Post
              The question is now how to profit.
              Must become a politician than, everyone knows that's where the real profit is.
              J'ai en marre.

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              • #8
                A loose confederacy can be enough to give them a bigger place under the sun.The idea of Arab unity is there and past failures aren't a guarantee this time it will also be a failure.They have more to gain by uniting than not .Even as a reaction to giants like EU,US China or India.Geopolitical darwinism.
                Last edited by Mihais; 22 Mar 11,, 18:55.
                Those who know don't speak
                He said to them, "But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. Luke 22:36

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by 1979 View Post
                  Must become a politician than, everyone knows that's where the real profit is.
                  Thanks,no.I'm not a prostitute.
                  Those who know don't speak
                  He said to them, "But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. Luke 22:36

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                  • #10
                    Color me dubious and counted out. I want no part of any of it. Someone will be pumping oil and we'll continue to buy from whomever is on that end. When the dust settles we'll know who it is. Until then, let it be their blood and sweat expended. We've no dog in these fights.
                    "This aggression will not stand, man!" Jeff Lebowski
                    "The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else when you're uncool." Lester Bangs

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by S2 View Post
                      Color me dubious and counted out. I want no part of any of it. Someone will be pumping oil and we'll continue to buy from whomever is on that end. When the dust settles we'll know who it is. Until then, let it be their blood and sweat expended. We've no dog in these fights.
                      The question being asked here in the UK is .."are we using double standards by not interfering in the Sudan, Yemen, Syria and other place where their Government is using deadly force to repel unarmed protesters, or have we got an agenda only with the removal of Qaddafi"?

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by S2 View Post
                        Color me dubious and counted out. I want no part of any of it. Someone will be pumping oil and we'll continue to buy from whomever is on that end. When the dust settles we'll know who it is. Until then, let it be their blood and sweat expended. We've no dog in these fights.
                        Sir, whats changed on the WoT? how is this different to Iraq 2003? Does the US need a 9/11 for there passion to be there to continue the WoT? Qadaffi is a monster, a human who has no qualms disposing of anyone who gets in his way. He came to power through violence, like most who do he will be ejected the same way.

                        Originally posted by dave lukins View Post
                        The question being asked here in the UK is .."are we using double standards by not interfering in the Sudan, Yemen, Syria and other place where their Government is using deadly force to repel unarmed protesters, or have we got an agenda only with the removal of Qaddafi"?
                        Dave, I have to say yes to your question............ But who could have predicted the scale of this sweeping change.
                        sigpicFEAR NAUGHT

                        Should raw analytical data ever be passed to policy makers?

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by T_igger_cs_30 View Post


                          Dave, I have to say yes to your question............ But who could have predicted the scale of this sweeping change.
                          The reason I asked Wayne was that this was a question asked on a recent debate on TV. As we all know, trying to get a straight answer from a Minister or MP is almost impossible. In essence he said it was to remove the leader because of his killing of innocent protesters. There was a barrage of questions about the recent killings of protesters from other Countries any why we were not involved there. Sheepish replies followed.

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by dave lukins View Post
                            There was a barrage of questions about the recent killings of protesters from other Countries any why we were not involved there. Sheepish replies followed.
                            He's already answered this numerous times by way of another question hasn't he.

                            Just because you can't do it all the time isn't an excuse not to do it when you can.

                            What's the counter to that then :)

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