Oh, sure, the mainstream media tells you the Egyptians are rioting because they’re pissed at America and because they’re pissed at Israel and because they’re pissed at Mubarak and because they’re pissed at each other. But there are other reasons the Egyptians are pissed. Reasons the mainstream media never talks about.
Luckily, IHateTheMedia.com’s crack team of investigative reporters and Egyptologists has ferreted out some others reasons for the rioting in Cairo. Such as:
1. Angelina Jolie being cast in the remake of Cleopatra.
2. Nation’s failure to inspire a Top 40 hit or stupid dance craze since the mid-1980’s. (See video on left.)
3. Tired of Iranian dominance of the “Crazy Muslim Caucus” at Arab League meetings.
4. Facebook’s “Everybody Draw Ramses Day.”
5. Twilight series of books and movies doesn’t feature a mummy character along with the vampire and werewolf kid.
6. Cairo Blockbuster bringing back late fees.
7. They just found out that the Library of Alexandria was burned down.
8. Practicing soccer hooliganism for upcoming World Cup.
9. Redneck cops tasering innocent camels.
10. Haven’t had a chance to break out the camel cavalry outfits and sabers since World War I.
11. Rioting is their way of saying, “My religion of peace will bash in more heads than your religion of peace.”
12. Introduction of an innovative new program called “Winning the 14th Century.”
13. Muslim chicks dig rioters.
14. Rumor that Justin Bieber was playing at Tahir Square.
15. It’s an Islamic thing. You wouldn’t understand.
This post was last modified on January 26, 2021
View Comments (27)
"What makes you think its being led by anything? Just a bunch of people pissed off about not being able to afford food."
What makes you think that it's as simple as that? I suggest you bone up on the history and agendas, not to mention current involvement of the groups hisham listed above. Then investigate the history of how the revolution in Iran took place when the Shah was ousted. Perhaps a crash course in the doctrine of Islamic Socialism and it's proponents involvement in fomenting revolution would be helpful to you as well. And finally, a comparison and contrast of Egypt's daily stability two weeks ago compared to events unfolding this week.
Camel Jockey jokes aside, I can't add to Big Al's post, as funny as it was, but I can make a more sober comment regarding all this Egypt watching in the first place and it's not intended to be funny...so sue me!
The statist media calls this a popular democratic uprising, but is it? Nobody knows who is at the helm of this demonstration/uprising/riot and until I know for sure that Achwan AlMuslimi (The Muslim Brotherhood), AlQa'ida (The Command Center), or Hisb Allah (The Party of God) or their clones are not, I withhold my critical commentary. These are groups I've had dealings with, an understanding of, and a grudging respect for, (don't take respect for like). For me there is absolutely nothing likeable about these groups. The people involved are cold hearted, hardened, psychopathic liars, and sociopathic killers...not your prom date and certainly not freedom fighters. When I hear our media going down that road I know we're in trouble!
What makes you think its being led by anything? Just a bunch of people pissed off about not being able to afford food.
Yes what a naive, wonderful little world it would be if people were only rioting because they wanted food & stuff and anything more than that was just crazy conspiracy theory...
The Muslim Brotherhood may be playing for power now, in the turmoil, but those first protestors seemed genuine.. they want what we have. Openness, internet, economic revival, end to permanent Mubarak rule, etc.. We should not forget them
"The Muslim Brotherhood may be playing for power now, in the turmoil, but those first protestors seemed genuine.. they want what we have. Openness, internet, economic revival, end to permanent Mubarak rule, etc.. We should not forget them"
Alien, they (whoever they are) have you right where they want you. Have you ever been any place outside of the States for any length of time? I don't mean Canada or Mexico, I mean like Liberia, or Somalia, or Chad, or Albania, or Paraguay, or Peru, or Egypt, or Tunisia. Go to a shithole, live there for two or three years and come back here and tell me a story that isn't right out of the play book for NatGeo or The Peace Corps and I'll listen to your fuzzy, kumbaya, naive, sophistry. The way you think right now will get you killed when you can least afford it...I shit you not!
Don't give me this kumbaya Peace Corps bullsh-t, I served in the Army too, Signal Corps. My father was Air Force, and my grandfather was stationed in Palestine up to the end of the Mandate.
Absolutist views on any matter regarding human intent or creed reduce the quality of analysis.
You think every muslim on the planet wants Caliphate? Then you are wrong, and wasting allies. You think they can actually pull it off? Arabs and Turks ground away at Europe for centuries and could not achieve it. What keeps me up at night? A nuke slipped into the country by some Allah-freak via shipping lanes.
You think there aren't people in Egypt who just want more democracy, more secularization, and just want to be left alone by government and religion to live, have families, homes, all that? You think we have a monopoly on that dream?
Of course Muslim Brotherhood is worrisome, i do not contest this at all. It is also large enough a movement that it has grown complex, and generated splinter groups who believe it is not aggressive or violent enough. Does this mean we give up vigilance? No.
Actually, most do want the Caliphate, at least in Egypt, where many of us seem to think everyone wants an American style democracy.
What Do the Egyptian Crowds Want? Caliphate Dreams and Strict Sharia
Most is not all, and I appreciate data. I am merely saying we should not forget the reasonable ones. Every power must seek allies wherever it can.
Yes, most is not all. But when "most" in a country want something, like Sharia Law, for example, "All" will get it.
Yes, like Hamas in Gaza. If we fear fundamentalist Egypt, we must shed neocon dreams of middle east democracy, in favor of secularism. We do this by putting the squeeze on the Egyptian military, for whom lifeblood is U.S foreign aid. Another strongman.
Now if Sharia previals, and they instead shut the Suez to us, do we go to war? Getting tricky now.
YT, I don't know you but I'm going to be totally straight with you. I'm a retired US Army Inelligence specialist, Polish language trained during the later decades of the USSR and later Arabic language trained, Egyptian dialect in paticular, but many others as well. I spent at least 16 years of my life following this issue and I retired in 1997. This stuff you are just now getting on board with isn't new news. The Muslim Brotherhood declared war on the west at least as early as 1948 and on the US in particular by 1969. Tell me what you were doing in 1969? If you were my age you'd know this! I don't make these assumptions because it feels good to pull shit out of my a-hole. I actually know a little bit about what is going on because some of the same people and groups I dealt with then are still around causing trouble today. This guy Elbaradei is a real POS, don't trust a thing he has to say and pay very careful attention to the people he's associating with. Never believe a word anyone says, always watch what they do...therein lies the true tenor of their character. Now keep your eyes and ears open and your mouth mostly closed and pay close attention to what transpires over the next few days and weeks. If you see a progression in the number of MENA (Middle East North Africa) nations and other Arab/Muslim nations fomenting revolution you'll know I know what I'm talking about and you won't be so quick to think I'm just some old fart kook! Now kiss my ring son, you may leave my presence, (sarcasm and humor intended)
Hisham, your absolutely correct. This is a direct attempt at revolution intended to turn Egypt into a brutal Shaira Law Caliphate.
I agree sir.
Republished from http://www.sandmonkey.org
Egypt, right now!
I don't know how to start writing this. I have been battling fatigue for not sleeping properly for the past 10 days, moving from one's friend house to another friend's house, almost never spending a night in my home, facing a very well funded and well organized ruthless regime that views me as nothing but an annoying bug that its time to squash will come. The situation here is bleak to say the least.
It didn't start out that way. On Tuesday Jan 25 it all started peacefully, and against all odds, we succeeded to gather hundreds of thousands and get them into Tahrir Square, despite being attacked by Anti-Riot Police who are using sticks, tear gas and rubber bullets against us. We managed to break all of their barricades and situated ourselves in Tahrir. The government responded by shutting down all cell communication in Tahrir square, a move which purpose was understood later when after midnight they went in with all of their might and attacked the protesters and evacuated the Square. The next day we were back at it again, and the day after. Then came Friday and we braved their communication blackout, their thugs, their tear gas and their bullets and we retook the square. We have been fighting to keep it ever since.
That night the government announced a military curfew, which kept getting shorter by the day, until it became from 8 am to 3 pm. People couldn't go to work, gas was running out quickly and so were essential goods and money, since the banks were not allowed to operate and people were not able to collect their salary. The internet continued to be blocked, which affected all businesses in Egypt and will cause an economic meltdown the moment they allow the banks to operate again. We were being collectively punished for daring to say that we deserve democracy and rights, and to keep it up, they withdrew the police, and then sent them out dressed as civilians to terrorize our neighborhoods. I was shot at twice that day, one of which with a semi-automatic by a dude in a car that we the people took joy in pummeling. The government announced that all prisons were breached, and that the prisoners somehow managed to get weapons and do nothing but randomly attack people. One day we had organized thugs in uniforms firing at us and the next day they disappeared and were replaced by organized thugs without uniforms firing at us. Somehow the people never made the connection.
Despite it all, we braved it. We believed we are doing what's right and were encouraged by all those around us who couldn't believe what was happening to their country. What he did galvanized the people, and on Tuesday, despite shutting down all major roads leading into Cairo, we managed to get over 2 million protesters in Cairo alone and 3 million all over Egypt to come out and demand Mubarak's departure. Those are people who stood up to the regime's ruthlessness and anger and declared that they were free, and were refusing to live in the Mubarak dictatorship for one more day. That night, he showed up on TV, and gave a very emotional speech about how he intends to step down at the end of his term and how he wants to die in Egypt, the country he loved and served. To me, and to everyone else at the protests this wasn't nearly enough, for we wanted him gone now. Others started asking that we give him a chance, and that change takes time and other such poppycock. Hell, some people and family members cried when they saw his speech. People felt sorry for him for failing to be our dictator for the rest of his life and inheriting us to his Son. It was an amalgam of Stockholm syndrome coupled with slave mentality in a malevolent combination that we never saw before. And the Regime capitalized on it today.
Today, they brought back the internet, and started having people calling on TV and writing on facebook on how they support Mubarak and his call for stability and peacefull change in 8 months. They hung on to the words of the newly appointed government would never harm the protesters, whom they believe to be good patriotic youth who have a few bad apples amongst them. We started getting calls asking people to stop protesting because "we got what we wanted" and "we need the country to start working again". People were complaining that they miss their lives. That they miss going out at night, and ordering Home Delivery. That they need us to stop so they can resume whatever existence they had before all of this. All was forgiven, the past week never happened and it's time for Unity under Mubarak's rule right now.
To all of those people I say: NEVER! I am sorry that your lives and businesses are disrupted, but this wasn't caused by the Protesters. The Protesters aren't the ones who shut down the internet that has paralyzed your businesses and banks: The government did. The Protesters weren't the ones who initiated the military curfew that limited your movement and allowed goods to disappear off market shelves and gas to disappear: The government did. The Protesters weren't the ones who ordered the police to withdraw and claimed the prisons were breached and unleashed thugs that terrorized your neighborhoods: The government did. The same government that you wish to give a second chance to, as if 30 years of dictatorship and utter failure in every sector of government wasn't enough for you. The Slaves were ready to forgive their master, and blame his cruelty on those who dared to defy him in order to ensure a better Egypt for all of its citizens and their children. After all, he gave us his word, and it's not like he ever broke his promises for reform before or anything.
Then Mubarak made his move and showed them what useful idiots they all were.
You watched on TV as "Pro-Mubarak Protesters" – thugs who were paid money by NDP members by admission of High NDP officials- started attacking the peaceful unarmed protesters in Tahrir square. They attacked them with sticks, threw stones at them, brought in men riding horses and camels- in what must be the most surreal scene ever shown on TV- and carrying whips to beat up the protesters. And then the Bullets started getting fired and Molotov cocktails started getting thrown at the Anti-Mubarak Protesters as the Army standing idly by, allowing it all to happen and not doing anything about it. Dozens were killed, hundreds injured, and there was no help sent by ambulances. The Police never showed up to stop those attacking because the ones who were captured by the Anti-mubarak people had police ID's on them. They were the police and they were there to shoot and kill people and even tried to set the Egyptian Museum on Fire. The Aim was clear: Use the clashes as pretext to ban such demonstrations under pretexts of concern for public safety and order, and to prevent disunity amongst the people of Egypt. But their plans ultimately failed, by those resilient brave souls who wouldn't give up the ground they freed of Egypt, no matter how many live bullets or firebombs were hurled at them. They know, like we all do, that this regime no longer cares to put on a moderate mask. That they have shown their true nature. That Mubarak will never step down, and that he would rather burn Egypt to the ground than even contemplate that possibility.
In the meantime, State-owned and affiliated TV channels were showing coverage of Peaceful Mubarak Protests all over Egypt and showing recorded footage of Tahrir Square protest from the night before and claiming it's the situation there at the moment. Hundreds of calls by public figures and actors started calling the channels saying that they are with Mubarak, and that he is our Father and we should support him on the road to democracy. A veiled girl with a blurred face went on Mehwer TV claiming to have received funding by Americans to go to the US and took courses on how to bring down the Egyptian government through protests which were taught by Jews. She claimed that AlJazeera is lying, and that the only people in Tahrir square now were Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas. State TV started issuing statements on how the people arrested Israelis all over Cairo engaged in creating mayhem and causing chaos. For those of you who are counting this is an American-Israeli-Qatari-Muslim Brotherhood-Iranian-Hamas conspiracy. Imagine that. And MANY PEOPLE BOUGHT IT. I recall telling a friend of mine that the only good thing about what happened today was that it made clear to us who were the idiots amongst our friends. Now we know.
Now, just in case this isn't clear: This protest is not one made or sustained by the Muslim Brotherhood, it's one that had people from all social classes and religious background in Egypt. The Muslim Brotherhood only showed up on Tuesday, and even then they were not the majority of people there by a long shot. We tolerated them there since we won't say no to fellow Egyptians who wanted to stand with us, but neither the Muslims Brotherhood not any of the Opposition leaders have the ability to turn out one tenth of the numbers of Protesters that were in Tahrir on Tuesday. This is a revolution without leaders. Three Million individuals choosing hope instead of fear and braving death on hourly basis to keep their dream of freedom alive. Imagine that.
The End is near. I have no illusions about this regime or its leader, and how he will pluck us and hunt us down one by one till we are over and done with and 8 months from now will pay people to stage fake protests urging him not to leave power, and he will stay "because he has to acquiesce to the voice of the people". This is a losing battle and they have all the weapons, but we will continue fighting until we can't. I am heading to Tahrir right now with supplies for the hundreds injured, knowing that today the attacks will intensify, because they can't allow us to stay there come Friday, which is supposed to be the game changer. We are bringing everybody out, and we will refuse to be anything else than peaceful. If you are in Egypt, I am calling on all of you to head down to Tahrir today and Friday. It is imperative to show them that the battle for the soul of Egypt isn't over and done with. I am calling you to bring your friends, to bring medical supplies, to go and see what Mubarak's gurantees look like in real life. Egypt needs you. Be Heroes.
Did I miss the punch line ...?
too long; didn't read
I love the part where it says, "This protest is not one made or sustained by Muslim Brotherhood", & while that may be true, I will tell you this. The Muslim Brotherhood will try like hell to fill any vacum left if Mubarik is forced out & has to flee. Many of those protesting have democratic intentions, but many do not, & that's where the Muslim Brotherhood will come into play. With help of islamic radicals in the regoin of course.
TL;DR
LOL I love that song.
That damn government surplus underwear is hella itchy!
Anything to get out of having to wax the wife’s back!
What riot? This is simply an unorganized iron man event!
19. Egypt's goat didn't place in the top three at the "Best Looking Goat' contest this year.
16. They just downloaded Quiet Riot from iTunes.
16. Hey, if ya can't kick a guy to death for falling off a Camel, the Infidels have already won.
17. Groups of men hoisting fallen Comrades bloody remains through Cairo streets, equated to 'Muslim Version' Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on CNN.
18. Bush's fault!
How utterly racist and bigoted this post is.
This is merely a cultural and artistic expression of their feelings, based on their social mores.
/sarc
The Bernank's Quantitative easing may be the biggest reason of all.
Comming to a city near you!