Egyptian Update: Where to Begin??
Things were changing almost by the minute, seemingly petering out one day, and soaring the next, but here's a day by day account of what has transpired, so far:
Feb. 4th:
Is It 1989 All Over Again?
At the end of last week, there was so much speculation and pointless attempts to find the appropriate past comparison, as though the revolution was over and it was already possible to parse the likely outcomes. IMHO, the revolution in Egypt needs to be judged on its own merits and, as far as that's concerned, it may take years before it's possible to say that any of those previous dates (whether it's 1979 or 2009 in Iran or the collapse of communism in 1989, or whatever) are comparable. My hunch is that this one is different than all of them, but only time will tell. But events since Friday suggest this is no mere flash in the pan, so whatever pivotal event one chooses to compare with, this will be a turning point in history.
Feb. 6th:
I especially liked what this guy had to say, beginning at 8:24, or so, and onward, because it's relevant to what's happening today.
The army seemed unwilling to crack down, more sympathetic with the protesters, than willing to exercise brute force for the regime, perhaps for the reasons given by Janice Stein in the TVO interview.
At Tahrir Square, Egyptian army feints and jabs
Feb. 4th:
Is It 1989 All Over Again?
At the end of last week, there was so much speculation and pointless attempts to find the appropriate past comparison, as though the revolution was over and it was already possible to parse the likely outcomes. IMHO, the revolution in Egypt needs to be judged on its own merits and, as far as that's concerned, it may take years before it's possible to say that any of those previous dates (whether it's 1979 or 2009 in Iran or the collapse of communism in 1989, or whatever) are comparable. My hunch is that this one is different than all of them, but only time will tell. But events since Friday suggest this is no mere flash in the pan, so whatever pivotal event one chooses to compare with, this will be a turning point in history.
Feb. 6th:
I especially liked what this guy had to say, beginning at 8:24, or so, and onward, because it's relevant to what's happening today.
The army seemed unwilling to crack down, more sympathetic with the protesters, than willing to exercise brute force for the regime, perhaps for the reasons given by Janice Stein in the TVO interview.
At Tahrir Square, Egyptian army feints and jabs
posted by Louise at 1:51 pm
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