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Friday Night Open Thread: Revolution

By Jeralyn, Section Blog Related
Posted on Fri Feb 11, 2011 at 07:50:48 PM EST
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Look what's happening out in the streets
Got a revolution, got to revolution
Hey I'm dancing down the streets
Got a revolution got to revolution

...Hey now it's time for you and me
Got a revolution, Got to revolution
Come on now we're marching to the sea
Got a revolution, got to revolution
Who will take it from you?
We will and who are we?
we are volunteers...

See, Euphoria in Cairo: The Tyrant is Gone and Mubarak's Resignation a Triumph for "People-Power."

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

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    Friday Night Open Thread: Revolution | 26 comments (26 topical)

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    How wonderful (5.00 / 2) (#13)
    by Peter G on Sat Feb 12, 2011 at 12:17:40 PM EST
    to see and hear Grace Slick again.  Truly a tonic. Thanks, TL.

    And note that in "Volunteers" (none / 0) (#15)
    by Peter G on Sat Feb 12, 2011 at 01:07:49 PM EST
    the Jefferson Airplane is clearly referencing a "people power" style of revolution, as has just occurred in Egypt, with the line stating "Come on now, we're marching to the sea," which makes sense only as an invocation of one of Gandhi's greatest Satyagraha campaigns, his 1930 Salt March, which may have been the first use of mass, nonviolent action to overthrow a violent regime.

    Parent
    Thanks for the links, and (none / 0) (#1)
    by Towanda on Fri Feb 11, 2011 at 09:57:49 PM EST
    especially the second one, a typically thoughtful and thorough McClatchy piece.  

    When (none / 0) (#2)
    by kmblue on Sat Feb 12, 2011 at 05:29:01 AM EST
    will we rebel?

    The revolution (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by jmacWA on Sat Feb 12, 2011 at 11:02:52 AM EST
    we need is to get rid of all existing corporate media and get at least one news organization that will tell the truth without the government/corporate spin.  Sadly, I do not see this happening any time soon

    Parent
    Im tellin ya (none / 0) (#7)
    by Capt Howdy on Sat Feb 12, 2011 at 11:13:34 AM EST
    al jazzera is what you are looking for.  since I have been watching it for the demonstration coverage I honestly cant watch american news anymore.

    I am thinking about how I can start pressure on things like DishNetwork (which I have) to start offering it.

    Parent

    agree that al Jazeera has (none / 0) (#8)
    by Jeralyn on Sat Feb 12, 2011 at 11:32:59 AM EST
    been really good. It really shows how lame our cable news reporting, particularly the commentary, has become.  

    Parent
    what can we do (none / 0) (#11)
    by Capt Howdy on Sat Feb 12, 2011 at 11:44:26 AM EST
    to make american markets offer it as an option?
    serious question.

    Parent
    Actually CNN and (none / 0) (#12)
    by brodie on Sat Feb 12, 2011 at 12:09:04 PM EST
    Richard Engle at Msnbc did a good job covering the Egyptian revolution.  The young Egyptian guy from Google -- now a national hero -- who'd help start up the protests yesterday praised CNN for their coverage and in helping tell the truth to the world.

    That said, it's a shame most Americans can't get AJ on basic cable.  200 channels offered, but only 3 (2 in many systems) that offer news and commentary most of the day, and until Egypt, most US cable outlets tended to ignore foreign news.  

    Foreign news on cable was usually news about the royals in England and little else.  Now that things have quieted down in Egypt, things will probably go back to normal.

    Parent

    I saw Wael Ghonim say that (5.00 / 1) (#16)
    by Towanda on Sat Feb 12, 2011 at 01:32:30 PM EST
    and I guess I'll trust him re CNN's role -- but also fascinating have been his comments that really tell us it took a synergy of many forms of media today, "mainstream," "social," etc.  

    For example, I always distrust reports that major events come from nowhere and are "sudden," which downplay the hard, long, slog of work required to effect change.  So, Ghonim's reports that Egyptian protesters started their Facebook page and discussion last summer also have been intriguing.

    I look forward to his promised book.

    Parent

    no Im sorry they didnt (none / 0) (#14)
    by Capt Howdy on Sat Feb 12, 2011 at 12:18:36 PM EST
    Engle did a good job within the lame ADD framework he had to work with but MSNBC coverage was among the worst.  at times rivaling fox.

    IMO

    Parent

    Mon Capitaine, (none / 0) (#18)
    by brodie on Sat Feb 12, 2011 at 03:28:01 PM EST
    please note I only mentioned Engel's reporting, not the entire network at Msnbc.  Actually I spent most of my time between CNN and AJ, with Engel's network a distant third.  

    And I also seriously doubt Msnbc was actually as bad as Fox who were probably reporting with a huge pro-Mubarak bias.  I didn't detect much of that the times I tuned in Msnbc.  And even old cold warrior and realpolitik devoté Tweety McMatthews in the final days of the revolt was coming around to see the protesters' side.

    Parent

    The NYT "The Lede" blog is informative (none / 0) (#20)
    by oculus on Sat Feb 12, 2011 at 03:34:34 PM EST
    also:  link

    Parent
    Thanks, oculus (none / 0) (#21)
    by Towanda on Sat Feb 12, 2011 at 03:55:45 PM EST
    for that good link.  I had presumed, based on the result -- military control -- that it must have been some general who got to Mubarak.  But this general's nickname . . . somehow, that brought to mind the book/movie "Bush's Brain"!  Well, we will have to hope that the protesters' wish for joint leadership by both civilians and military comes soon (as well as elections sooner than some of the military foresee, which would be much later than the previous plan for, at last, elections in fall).

    Parent
    Btw, every time that I see Ghonim (none / 0) (#17)
    by Towanda on Sat Feb 12, 2011 at 01:41:21 PM EST
    on tv, I envision the inevitable movie on these events -- and I see Sean Penn in the role of Ghonim.  Anyone else see the resemblance?  

    Of course, even better would be to see Arab actors, but I sadly am not very aware of their film industry.  (Sadly, in part, because recent events provided an opportunity to see so many everyday Egyptians, not just political leaders and celebrities, which also made it possible to see that they are an extraordinarily beautiful people in so many ways.)

    Parent

    Yes, agree Penn (none / 0) (#19)
    by brodie on Sat Feb 12, 2011 at 03:33:08 PM EST
    does resemble Ghonim.

    I'd recommend Egyptian actors myself, but only know of two, and only one -- Omar Sharif -- by name, and he's a little old today for that part.  On CNN they interviewed numerous times a twentysomething handsome Egyptian actor-protester who'd been in some recent big movie (which I haven't seen), but I don't recall his name.

    Parent

    What you suggest (none / 0) (#23)
    by kmblue on Sat Feb 12, 2011 at 07:13:17 PM EST
    would certainly help.

    Parent
    above comment (none / 0) (#24)
    by kmblue on Sat Feb 12, 2011 at 07:14:42 PM EST
    directed to jmacwa.  I'm indifferent to Al Jazeera being on my teebee.  But I would certainly like some decent journalism from our so-called mainstream media.

    Parent
    Will we rebel? No. (none / 0) (#3)
    by Mr Natural on Sat Feb 12, 2011 at 08:20:58 AM EST
    Everybody's on their own separate iPod, divided and conquered.

    Parent
    Just to understand (none / 0) (#4)
    by beefeater on Sat Feb 12, 2011 at 10:53:45 AM EST
    Are you suggesting we throw off the shackles and chains of the illegitimate Obama regime and turn the Government of the United States over to the Military?

    That's what the Egyptians have accomplished.

    Parent

    the Egyptian Military (5.00 / 1) (#9)
    by Jeralyn on Sat Feb 12, 2011 at 11:35:53 AM EST
    has already pledged Saturday to hand power to an elected civilian government .

    This is not about the U.S., it's about Egypt.

    Parent

    thank you (none / 0) (#10)
    by Capt Howdy on Sat Feb 12, 2011 at 11:43:40 AM EST
    sorry for any excess.  I am just so sick of it.

    Parent
    I thought (none / 0) (#25)
    by kmblue on Sat Feb 12, 2011 at 07:15:43 PM EST
    this was an Open Thread.  So sorry.

    Parent
    it is an open thread (none / 0) (#26)
    by Jeralyn on Sun Feb 13, 2011 at 12:56:41 AM EST
    I was responding to Beefeater -- the revolution is about Egypt, not the U.S.

    Parent
    oh yeah (none / 0) (#5)
    by Capt Howdy on Sat Feb 12, 2011 at 11:01:08 AM EST
    wait . . .

    Parent
    Nope (none / 0) (#22)
    by kmblue on Sat Feb 12, 2011 at 07:12:41 PM EST
    I'm wondering when the vast majority of people in the U.S. will realize they're getting shafted by their government and the entities the government bows down to (hello Wall Street).

    I'm for peaceful and massive demonstrations, meself.
    If we can do it without getting shot (Kent State) or getting our heads beat in.

    Parent

    Friday Night Open Thread: Revolution | 26 comments (26 topical)

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