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[MetalSlimeHunt]

I'm suspicious of reports of violence between protesters and "Mubarak supporters." So all the way up to now, they've been doing nothing, but after Mubarak agrees not to seek re-election, now they're taking to violent support of his presidency?

Methinks someone is trying to prevent a democratic, orderly transition of power. And it's probably not Mubarak.

I've said before that the fact that Iran and Saudi Arabia aren't having these mass riots is proof that the Islamists are going to take over in Egypt.

Iran has been having them, to an extent, ever since the last election. Just not ones massive enough to take down the government peacefully. Saudi Arabia is just...a bad place in general, so it probably can't really be counted here. At this point, I'm going to dare to hope that this revolution turns Egypt into a real, secular democracy.

[Alexhans]

I've said before that the fact that Iran and Saudi Arabia aren't having these mass riots is proof that the Islamists are going to take over in Egypt.

And then they will build a mosque in ground zero, which will serve as a military base to take over the white house.  And they will ban football and brainwash your children into believing in Alah!  OMG! Will no one think of the children!

A stupid response seemed most appropriate to a similar comment.

[Nadaka]

Iran has been having them, to an extent, ever since the last election. Just not ones massive enough to take down the government peacefully. Saudi Arabia is just...a bad place in general, so it probably can't really be counted here. At this point, I'm going to dare to hope that this revolution turns Egypt into a real, secular democracy.

The only chance of that happening is that the military decides that is the best way to keep the US funds rolling in.

[Bouchart]

I've said before that the fact that Iran and Saudi Arabia aren't having these mass riots is proof that the Islamists are going to take over in Egypt.

And then they will build a mosque in ground zero, which will serve as a military base to take over the white house.  And they will ban football and brainwash your children into believing in Alah!  OMG! Will no one think of the children!

A stupid response seemed most appropriate to a similar comment.

I don't see what it is about my comment that is unreasonable or impossible.

The situation in the middle east is very fluid.  If we see this sort of civil disorder in Saudi Arabia or Iran then it is more likely that Egypt is making some progress towards a secular democracy, but the middle east doesn't have a strong history of that.  People make the case that a number of the rioters in Egypt are middle class and educated, but the middle class is small there compared to the impoverished class.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

The world can change in unexpected ways before you know what's happened. I think that may be what's occuring here. The Middle East may not have a strong history of functioning democracies, but neither did most of Europe, not since the time of Ancient Greece and Rome. I don't think I need to tell you how that eventually turned out.

[Bouchart]

Yes that's certainly true.  It's hard to make predictions when you're halfway across the world from where the action is, and the situation changes very quickly.

What I don't think anyone is thinking about is the possibility of mass riots in countries outside of the middle east.  Could it happen in India?  China?  Mexico?  They have significant underclasses that are getting desperate as food and clothing prices skyrocket.

[Alexhans]

I don't see what it is about my comment that is unreasonable or impossible.

Ok, let's analyze the comment:
"I've said before that the fact that Iran and Saudi Arabia aren't having these mass riots is proof that the Islamists are going to take over in Egypt."

The fact that 2 nations on the region that profess a certain official religion are not having the same riots as a country who doesn't profess that religion means that they will take over.  Never mind the economic and social situations of each country.  Never mind their history. 

No, let's just go with that absurd correlation.

There was a series of protests in Argentina that lead to the resignation of the president in 2001.  There weren't similar protests in Paraguay or Bolivia.  Both countries have more brown people than Argentina!  Surely, browns are taking over Argentina!! The HORROR!

Not only your statement was stupid, but it also goes along with the whole "islam = bad"; "whatever WE are = good". 

The situation in the middle east is very fluid.  If we see this sort of civil disorder in Saudi Arabia or Iran then it is more likely that Egypt is making some progress towards a secular democracy, but the middle east doesn't have a strong history of that.  People make the case that a number of the rioters in Egypt are middle class and educated, but the middle class is small there compared to the impoverished class.

Your point is?  That educated people would not believe in islam but poor people would, so they would approve a islamist dictatorship? What about non islamic dictatorships?  What about islamic democracies? Or that's impossible?  Only Christian democracies are true democracies?

EDIT: Ideally, for me, goverment should separate as much as possible from religion and tolerate everything.  But that's not what really happens in most so called democracies.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

Yes that's certainly true.  It's hard to make predictions when you're halfway across the world from where the action is, and the situation changes very quickly.

What I don't think anyone is thinking about is the possibility of mass riots in countries outside of the middle east.  Could it happen in India?  China?  Mexico?  They have significant underclasses that are getting desperate as food and clothing prices skyrocket.

India and Mexico are both much more functional democracies than Egypt was (See: not at all), and having a democratic government seems to do wonders for a nation's stability. China has gotten rather good at keeping revolts from happening, so I would probably count them out for now as well. My money is on Iran going next. It's never good for your rule when a portion of your nation's population declares your entire government to be illegitimate.

That educated people would not believe in islam but poor people would, so they would approve a islamist dictatorship? What about non islamic dictatorships?  What about islamic democracies? Or that's impossible?  Only Christian democracies are true democracies?

EDIT: Ideally, for me, goverment should separate as much as possible from religion and tolerate everything.  But that's not what really happens in most so called democracies.

I would venture to say that only secular democracies are true democracies. Without a Seperation of Church and State, even in a democracy, things tend to get Bad™ fast.  You have to keep in mind that, the more uneducated people there are, the higher the chance of them being tricked into a presidential dictatorship is. This isn't because they're stupid, but because they do not have the proper knowlage to see these things coming (History repeats, as they say) and strike them down en mass.

[nenjin]

Just so we're clear here, I was talking about Al Qaeda and other militant Islamic groups on the continent. They're the sort of destabilizing force that no one can really account for. Their motives, especially, fall outside the realm of most people's political (or even religious) understanding.

But as was said above, Egypt's situation is about quality of life. I don't claim to know enough about the quality of life on average in places like Iran and Saudi Arabia, but do they have "garbage towns" or even stuff coming close to the favellas of Brazil? I don't think so.

[alway]

China won't have similar riots primarily because their government has done tons of awesome for them. Less than a century ago, they were being pillaged and looted, to put it mildly, by Japan. Today they are gearing up for becoming one of, if not the top, global superpower. They went from poor rice paddy farmers to a name ubiquitous with industry and economic growth, got through an economic depression the likes of which haven't been seen since the 30's with nary a dent in their economic growth and have grown the middle class from nothing to massive. They've got civil rights issues, sure, but so long as their economic growth continues, there won't be any major clamor for a new government. 40 or 50 years from now when the growth slows down to the rate similar to other developed nations, that's when they might see some political problems setting in.

[Bouchart]

Predicting the next domino to fall is nearly impossible.  I'm tempted to look where nobody else is.

[alway]

Predicting the next domino to fall is nearly impossible.  I'm tempted to look where nobody else is.

The Vatican City?

"We demand cheaper bread! We pay 10% of our income and only get a small sliver of bread once a week!  "

[Max White]

Predicting the next domino to fall is nearly impossible.  I'm tempted to look where nobody else is.

Antartica?

[Bouchart]

Oh, you guys...

[Max White]

Hey, you did say 'where nobody else is', and nobody lives in Antarctica, it's the only logical choice.