That's a damn shame...

And the number of farks given?

Zero.

Because who cares. It's their own country. Let them do with it as they please.

Unless it involves killin' folks, then we care.

So what's the over-under on the year the Valley of the Kings gets blown to bits as an affront to Islam - 2014?

So the Muslim brotherhood has 40% and they're modern, but a very regressive Muslim party got a "unexpectedly strong showing" but he isn't saying what percentage they won.

I went and looked. They got 20% of the first 1/3rd of the election. Thank god we've begun shiatting our pants...

Codenamechaz: And the number of farks given?

Zero.

Because who cares. It's their own country. Let them do with it as they please.

Unless it involves killin' folks, then we care.

Just like we care about Syria, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and anyone else killing folks, right?

This was one of my biggest worries with the revolutions throughout the Islamic world earlier this year.

I was talking with an Irish friend of mine years ago, before the economic crisis, when the Celtic tiger was roaring, and I asked her "so I notice that religion seems to play even less a role in life than when I was here just a few years ago. Why?"

She replied "Well, there is money here now. Money makes people forget religion, faith. When Ireland was one of the poorest countries in Western Europe, people clung to the church. Now God is in the back of people's minds, and money is first. When the economy turns, we will see a run back to the church".

It seems like she was right, look at the blasphemy laws that passed, and I believe I read that that church attendance is back on the upswing.

I can imagine the same thing taking place in the middle east. With the economic crisis, dwindling incomes and rapid social changes, people turn more towards religion as a source of stability.

Codenamechaz: And the number of farks given?

Zero.

Because who cares. It's their own country. Let them do with it as they please.

Unless it involves killin' folks, then we care.

Hear Hear!

Why can't we just install a new dictator that's friendly to US interests?

That's always worked well for us in the past.

Gulper Eel: So what's the over-under on the year the Valley of the Kings gets blown to bits as an affront to Islam - 2014?

Over - way over, possibly to the point of never. No matter how religious the government might be, I doubt that Egyptians would willingly destroy one of their largest sources of incomes for the sake of dogma.

Seth'n'Spectrum: James!: So the Muslim brotherhood has 40% and they're modern, but a very regressive Muslim party got a "unexpectedly strong showing" but he isn't saying what percentage they won.

I went and looked. They got 20% of the first 1/3rd of the election. Thank god we've begun shiatting our pants...

Well, actually it looks like they got closer to 24% and the Brotherhood got 37%. But the elections are only half done, and it will really come down to the coalition horse-trading politics that will happen afterwards.

The Brotherhood will be afraid that if they leave out the liberals, the army will step in again or the West will shun it (which will lead to further election losses, not gains), so it isn't a done deal that they'll pair up with the Salafists to install an Islamic republic. That said, that's the optimistic way to look at things, but it's still a very good possibility.

From my reading the Salafists have refused to make any deals with the Brotherhood which would water down their hardline beliefs. Link (new window)

Where have I heard that before?

I_C_Weener: Codenamechaz: And the number of farks given?

Zero.

Because who cares. It's their own country. Let them do with it as they please.

Unless it involves killin' folks, then we care.

Just like we care about Syria, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and anyone else killing folks, right?

BravadoGT: Codenamechaz: And the number of farks given?

Zero.

Because who cares. It's their own country. Let them do with it as they please.

Unless it involves killin' folks, then we care.

Hear Hear!

[cdn2-b.examiner.com image 275x200][www.thejerusalemgiftshop.com image 275x200]

Man, it's such a shame we never instituted or advocated a series of economic sanctions as punishment against those countries in retaliation for the blatant and murderous civil rights abuses against their own people and other countries.

Oh wait...

Unless you two are one of them there Neo-cons who thinks we should bomb everyone we disagree with.

Codenamechaz: Unless you two are one of them there Neo-cons who thinks we should bomb everyone we disagree with.

If you cared, you'd advocate for something that worked. Seems to me Syria, Iran, North Korea, Russia are not affected by your sanctions.

Nina_Hartley's_Ass: How is that not democracy?

I guess Israel is saying that religion is incompatible with religious belief. Which seems like an odd statement for them to make.

I_C_Weener: Codenamechaz: Unless you two are one of them there Neo-cons who thinks we should bomb everyone we disagree with.

If you cared, you'd advocate for something that worked. Seems to me Syria, Iran, North Korea, Russia are not affected by your sanctions.

And I could just as easily say the same to you *coughcough-afghanistan-cough*

U.S. Doesn't have the money or resources for direct military intervention. Barely had them for Libya. Syria is slowly fixing things on it's own what with the increase in military defections to the protestors and now Europe getting involved.

North Korea ain't got shiat.

Russia is partially an ally in the sense that we're not directly out to get each other and there's no real sign of them slaughtering their own people. Or if they are, the government is doing a damn good job of keeping it under raps.

And I'm not sure how much more we can cut off Iran's supply of photoshop, but considering the current in-fighting with the president and the Ayatollah and his people, there doesn't seem like there's much to worry about as it'll likely just sort itself out.

Provided Israel doesn't go running at them head first like a special needs kid.

In other news, democratically elected Muslims aren't actually democratically elected, never mind they were actually democratically elected.

Nina_Hartley's_Ass: How is that not democracy?

It's not democracy if the United States Government doesn't benefit from the result. If you recall, in Reagan 4:12-15, The Gipper (pbuh) declares that brown people have no right to self-determination.

Jake Havechek: So what?

It's their country.

"What" is that a moderate Egypt could be an ally in a region where we are short on allies. A hardline Egypt can create difficulties for us since it borders a very twitchy Israel.

Our country must not be a democracy either, since we constantly elect Christian fundamentalists.

James!: Jake Havechek: So what?

It's their country.

"What" is that a moderate Egypt could be an ally in a region where we are short on allies. A hardline Egypt can create difficulties for us since it borders a very twitchy Israel.

So?

Even as a moderate, there'd be no guarantee of supporting an alliance between us and their new government depending on the will of their people, who already don't really like us that much anyway, and if there was such an alliance, it'd be tenuous at best.

So far history seems to have shown that Middle eastern countries tend to like us more when we stay the fark away.

James!: Jake Havechek: So what?

It's their country.

"What" is that a moderate Egypt could be an ally in a region where we are short on allies. A hardline Egypt can create difficulties for us since it borders a very twitchy Israel.

So we have the right to stop democracy?

Jake Havechek: and Israel can go pound sand

With missiles upsetting what delicate balance the region has and drawing a world that is very reliant on the oil found in the middle east into the conflict? Brilliant plan.

Headline: Israel says I told you so
First farking line of the farking article: The stunning showing by Salafist parties in the first round of Egypt's parliamentary elections surprised Israeli officials as much as the rest of the world.

GAT_00: So we have the right to stop democracy?

I like how you go from "This is why we should care" to "This is why we should slam our dicks down".

It's more enjoyable if you debate people's actual opinions and not create ones that you'll have an easier time arguing with.

Egypt is taken over by the Islamists not democracy,

Um, it was a democratic election that brought the "Islamists" to power.

Only in a conservative's mind is an unfavorable election result considered the opposite of democracy.

James!: GAT_00: So we have the right to stop democracy?

I like how you go from "This is why we should care" to "This is why we should slam our dicks down".

It's more enjoyable if you debate people's actual opinions and not create ones that you'll have an easier time arguing with.

Well what are you arguing them? Egypt has a right to decide for themselves they do. Are you saying we should just bribe the entire country to elect someone other than the Muslim Brotherhood?

vernonFL: Egypt is taken over by the Islamists not democracy,

Um, it was a democratic election that brought the "Islamists" to power.

Yup, and besides, the islamists that the author of TFA is peeing his pants over didn't even win.

Flab: vernonFL: Egypt is taken over by the Islamists not democracy,

Um, it was a democratic election that brought the "Islamists" to power.

Yup, and besides, the islamists that the author of TFA is peeing his pants over didn't even win.

But they did do far better than I think a lot of observers were expecting. Frankly, this quote FTFA sums it up nicely:

"But Facebook, the social networking site that let young liberals discreetly organize the first mass public protests, has proved no match for the Koran."

Translated: Once again, organized religion (and an extreme reading thereof) is threatening to turn back the clock, just when humans are on the verge of making real progress.

GAT_00: James!: GAT_00: So we have the right to stop democracy?

I like how you go from "This is why we should care" to "This is why we should slam our dicks down".

It's more enjoyable if you debate people's actual opinions and not create ones that you'll have an easier time arguing with.

Well what are you arguing them? Egypt has a right to decide for themselves they do. Are you saying we should just bribe the entire country to elect someone other than the Muslim Brotherhood?

I said why we should care, I never once said we should take any action. I was responding to the several "So what?" posters.

I'm sure someone will come along who thinks we should intervene once this goes green. You're welcome to argue with them.

Grand_Moff_Joseph: Once again, organized religion (and an extreme reading thereof) is threatening to turn back the clock, just when humans are on the verge of making real progress.

Ah, just like in the US. No biggie then.

Kidding aside, you do realize that your sentence is: "Something that hasn't happened yet, may have an impact on something else that also hasn't happened."

I'll adopt a wait-and-see attitude. YMMV.

James!: I said why we should care, I never once said we should take any action. I was responding to the several "So what?" posters.

So if we're caring but not taking any action, how is that ANY different from not caring?

Also, the Muslim Brotherhood didn't even win so this is much ado about nothing, as usual.

James!: I said why we should care, I never once said we should take any action.

My bad. Though usually when someone suggests we should care, they also suggest actions we should care in caring.

cameroncrazy1984: So if we're caring but not taking any action, how is that ANY different from not caring?

I suppose paying attention is an action. So you've got me, you win!

James!: cameroncrazy1984: So if we're caring but not taking any action, how is that ANY different from not caring?

I suppose paying attention is an action. So you've got me, you win!

Well, perhaps you should start paying attention, then.

GAT_00: James!: I said why we should care, I never once said we should take any action.

My bad. Though usually when someone suggests we should care, they also suggest actions we should care in caring.

We can publicly support a more moderate Egypt. We can resist the kind of chicken little nonsense like this article is pushing.

Either way Egypt goes in these elections we'll need to find a way to work with them.

cameroncrazy1984: James!: cameroncrazy1984: So if we're caring but not taking any action, how is that ANY different from not caring?

I suppose paying attention is an action. So you've got me, you win!

Well, perhaps you should start paying attention, then.

No shiat.

FTFA: The estimated 40 percent of the vote that went to the Muslim Brotherhood, the party that founded modern political Islam, was about in line with pre-election polls. But the unexpectedly strong showing by the Salafis -- fundamentalist Sunni Muslims who hold that the only true Islam was practiced around the time of the Prophet Mohammad, 1,300 years ago -- could put a group that rejects modernism in a pivotal position in Egypt's new democracy.

The Muslim Brotherhood is quite diverse and consists of several factions that tend to balance each other out. Their party is modeled on the current leadership in Turkey and Erdowan, and they won't get too theocratic, I think. But they won't be secularist either. Nassar-ism as a model of governing is dead. It degenerated into secular dictatorships, and secularism is now known as a mode of political repression---witness Syria right now too. Even Ataturkism has given way to a cultural Islamization in Turkey. And if the voters choose to do that, then it really isn't any of our business, unless they start blowing up World Heritage Sites like the Taliban or killing their own people a la Rwanda or Syria.

James!: Either way Egypt goes in these elections we'll need to find a way to work with them.

They might be more willing to work with us if we refuse to get involved.

GAT_00: James!: Either way Egypt goes in these elections we'll need to find a way to work with them.

They might be more willing to work with us if we refuse to get involved.

Word.

So Egypt has an Islamist party in the government. Don't most European countries have Christian parties in government?

And of course here in the USA we have a Christian party in our government.

vernonFL: So Egypt has an Islamist party in the government. Don't most European countries have Christian parties in government?

Case in point, the USA's European ally and trading partner Germany is currently headed by Angela Merkel, a member of the Christian Democratic Union party. Then again, she's been known to shrug off friendly-but-unsolicited shoulder massages from allied heads of state, so maybe we should begin the bombing.

lordaction: WTF Indeed: [footnotenews.com image 600x446]

That is a complete joke. None of that is true and everyone of those "talking points" can be destroyed with just 30 seconds of logical thinking.

For all that people like saying that, I haven't seen anyone actually do it.