Turmoil in Egypt

[Vulkyn]

Situation in Egypt was, still and will be scary for some time .....
Yes its as bad and no its not .... media will focus only on the negative aspects (which where really bad) but do not mention the positives like how people protect their homes and neighbors, how there are civilized demonstrations or how in many occasions Christians formed a barrier to protect their Muslim friends while they prayed.

I have taken some photos myself and will post them (once the net functions properly)
But yes things are bleak police have been gone for over a week, we stay on night watch till 5-6 am every day. Today things started to take the first step towards safety but we have a long way to go.

Economy is hit hard and we will suffer for a LONG time till things start settling down (stock exchange are looking at 100 billion + L.E losses, over 1 million in the tourism sector, and around 30% drop in production.)

We will see how things role but man i still can not believe whats been happening ...

[Vulkyn]

Some pictures taken on Friday the 28th

[wardd]

how is the military behaving?

[Vulkyn]

Very civilized and neutral, army is very popular and enjoys a great deal of respect from civilians.

[wardd]

without military support isn't it just a matter of time before he quits

seems to me it would have been best for his legacy for him to have stepped down

news here is he has 40 to 70 billion stashed away in different banks

[Vulkyn]

Its not about him leaving or not tbh, he will leave and there will be new reelections its the compulsive push to make him leave now.

His fortune or money can be reviewed and will be reviewed but so many rumors are being circulated i will leave mu judgment till later.

Problem is almost every one wants change and agree he must leave, the difference is people who want him to leave now have no idea how sensitive is the situation is and his sudden departure will cause more harm than good.

[wardd]

Originally Posted by Vulkyn

Its not about him leaving or not tbh, he will leave and there will be new reelections its the compulsive push to make him leave now.

His fortune or money can be reviewed and will be reviewed but so many rumors are being circulated i will leave mu judgment till later.

Problem is almost every one wants change and agree he must leave, the difference is people who want him to leave now have no idea how sensitive is the situation is and his sudden departure will cause more harm than good.

I can see that as a possibility, so why not a power sharing arrangement with someone acceptable until power can be fully transfered?

[Vulkyn]

That is one of the possibilities only we dont have the healthy political parties that offer the needed new blood / idea's agenda's to the people, the old regime insured that prominent political figures do not develop.
So you currently have a void and the new ministers (who are much more respected by the public) are still not accepted by many as they see them appointed by president mubark so they will be naturally corrupt and some want new blood.

The problem is every one is struggling for power now as there is a big gap, i am in favor of President mubark to stay in power and we proceed with the changes in the legislation and have new elections in 6-7 month time and in the process we remove as many corrupt (or inefficient) government individuals as well.

[ancient kayaker]

It's reassuring to see the military respecting the populace and remembering their role as protectors. It is also a comfort to see that the mix of people protesting on the streets seem to represent all ages, religions and backgrounds.

I wish I understood better what is going on. It seems an astonishingly representative and peaceful demonstration considering its scale and the obvious attempts at provocation. Usually such demonstrations are either organized by, or get taken over by ruthless organisations whose only wish seems to be fill the power vacuum as soon as possible so they can take their turn milking the public purse and suppressing opposition. That worry runs clearly through many of the media reports here.

I agree that it may be wise to keep the existing leader on a temporary basis to maintain continuity since - no matter what his faults or virtues may be- he seems to have done an adequate job in restoring Egypt's fortunes and protecting her security in the years following the assassination of Sadat. There is also an apparent lack of alternative leadership, with a possibility of multiple fractions and civil war. Of course, this is an outsider point of view, but it is always difficult to create from new cloth the political infrastructure that typifies the Western democracies.

This being a public forum perhaps it is best if the members use caution in their statements, since Egypt is still not a safe place and our friend Vulkyn is there ...

[Vulkyn]

Very true ancient ..... the problem is there are so many hidden agenda's (including some news channel) to increase the fire!
Another thing i found very distasteful in media coverage is the clear violation of neutrality, some channels even did not mention the thousands of peaceful pro mubark demonstrations at all ! Just shows how much the news channels have lost its principles to be neutral and show the truth (the good the bad and the ugly truth not just what u want or like)

Pictures of pro peaceful regime change taken yesterday .... (much smaller than the ones i mentioned in above which was on wendessday ..., by brother inlaw took pictures though will try to get them and post them).

[michael pierzga]

What ever the situation Vulkyn...stay safe..... and I wish the best possible outcome for you...

Stay safe.....

[SamSam]

Who were the violent pro-Mubarak ones we saw? Where did they go? How "popular" are they?

[michael pierzga]

At present on BBC Africa Service they are analyzing the Egypt situation and there is no clear answer about... Who... the violent, radical troublemakers are. The economy and social conditions in Egypt make it easy to hire a ....rent a mob....to discredit legitimate protesters. Who the "rent a mob" answers to is not clear.

The latest popular revolt is occurring in Serbia...same situation as Tunisia, Egypt.....unresponsive government with a population faced with high food prices and very poor employment prospects for its young, educated citizens.

[PAR]

Mubarak has a lot of things to sterilize and clean up, before he can leave office. His goon squads, the secret prisons, political prisoners, pending legal deals, secret deals, etc. There's a huge vacuum created if he's removed quickly, as he's effectively removed most political rivals over the decades. On the other hand, if he remains for much more then a few more weeks, he'll have plenty of time to set up pro Mubarak people in key positions, possably rig the September elections (again) so that 85% to 95% of his people get in power (just like the last several elections). In the end, you have to be careful what you wish for.

Mubarak is an old school remnant of the cold war process and his tactics have been less successful in recent years, compared to the first two decades of his rule. Tunisia tossed out their government and what has it done for them? Nothing, in fact life is worse then it was under the former dictatorship. Again, be careful what you wish for, as an Egypt without Mubarak will likely be nearly as bad, if not worse. It takes a long time to setup an infrastructure and pay off all the people, that you need to cooperate with your new government. Mubarak's tactics were harsh, but he's managed to balance a lot of stuff on his finger tips. He's kept the fractionalization of Egypt out of the realm of possibility and squashed fundamentalist movements before they've gained too much leverage, though the brotherhood has had considerable success in recent years. If you're not careful about removing Mubarak, you could very well end up with a new sharia law nation, like Iran and I don't think anyone wants to see this.

[CatBuilder]

I have to admit, it is great to see people in the world that still have enough spirit to protest for something they believe in. That is very admirable. Americans are now whimps and would just sit home in fear instead of taking action. You have something to be proud of, IMO, despite the chaos and turmoil.

Very glad to hear you are safe, Vulkyn. I hope the economic impact doesn't touch you too much and you will be able to continue with boats easily.