Whats going on with Egypt!?!?!

[businesscrazy83]

Man its getting pretty crazy over there around the world.

[Spider]

No more crazy than your forebears in 1774-6.

[Harold Mansfield]

You can't keep people down forever. Especially not today with so much access to information and entertainment. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to start wondering why a leader is richer than Bill Gates and owns more houses... while the country as a whole is struggling and it's people don't have a say in anything that determines their well being.

I can see a few more countries having some problems before it's all over. People like to live with purpose and be free. You can't squash that forever, not even in the name of religion. Especially when they can see other people doing it. Capitalism has been Democracy's greatest tool.

You don't have to be poor to keep your beliefs, nor do you have to keep practicing the same economic, human rights and education policies of the mid 1400's.

You can pull all kinds of BS over on people when everyone is doing well, but when people are struggling and angry, they start asking a lot of questions.
They are calling this a Twitter revolution. Because the protest were started and organized using social media and modern day technology.

Why do you think N.Korea keeps people in the dark and only has state run internet? I saw a 20/20 Special where Diane Sawyer told some school kids whom were wearing Nike ball caps that Nike was an American company and they almost lost their minds. They thought that it was a state run company. It's hard for a dictator to keep people down these days.

[businesscrazy83]

Yeah man good point! Its crazy how much infomation you can access on the internet.

[jamesray50]

I was surprised the Swiss froze Muburak's banks accounts. I always thought the Swiss looked the other way when it came to money from other countries.

[Harold Mansfield]

I was surprised the Swiss froze Muburak's banks accounts. I always thought the Swiss looked the other way when it came to money from other countries.

Depends on who's complaining, where their banks have branches and who they want to continue doing business with.

[Spider]

The fabled Swiss bank account secrecy is a thing of the past. Has been for a decade or more. Now, they are pretty much like the rest of the banks.

[Harold Mansfield]

The fabled Swiss bank account secrecy is a thing of the past. Has been for a decade or more. Now, they are pretty much like the rest of the banks.

Cayman's are still good I hear.

[Spider]

I didn't mean to suggest the Swiss banks are not good, anymore. I have not heard either way about the Caymen, specifically, but believe their banks aren't much different than others. There are other money centers in the Caribbean to consider but all would be subject to US financial pressure, if push came to shove. Less so the Swiss.

But if you are thinking along lines of Armageddon, gold under your bed might be the answer. Or a bunker in the Mohave desert with 10 years supply of MREs!

[businesscrazy83]

Wait a minute whats going on with the Swiss accounts?

[Harold Mansfield]

Now it's getting interesting with anti-government protests in Iran:
Anti-government protests spread to Iran (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/14/AR2011021400848.html?nav=hcmodule)

Yemen:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/28/world/middleeast/28yemen.html
Tunisa:
Tunisia protest town fears for unfinished revolution | World news | The Guardian (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/07/tunisia-protest-kasserine-unfinished-revolution) and there is already a Wikipedia entry about the revolution there: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010%E2%80%932011_Tunisian_Revolution
and the Palestinian cabinet resigned:
Palestinian cabinet resigns as Mideast turmoil spreads (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/14/AR2011021400588.html?hpid=topnews)

If all of these countries get a Democracy, it will be bigger than the Berlin wall falling.

[Spider]

Little talk about Jordan and Saudi, but the royal families there are well-liked and respected by the people. In any case, they have democracy to some extent, I believe. Lebanon is democratic and Iraq is working towards it. But the huge elephant in the room - nobody is even mentioning the name - Libya!

What's happening with Libya and our old adversary, Colonel Qadhafi?

[Spider]

Oh-oh! Spoke too soon!

BBC News - Libya: Protests 'rock city of Benghazi' (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12477275)

[Harold Mansfield]

Oh-oh! Spoke too soon!

BBC News - Libya: Protests 'rock city of Benghazi' (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12477275)

He doesn't want any trouble. Didn't he just give up his nuclear stuff last year? Not sure if he had an actual bomb or just parts and uranium, but he threw his hands up and turned it all over when we looked like we were going at it with N. Korea (again).
I wouldn't be surprised if he just grabbed his checkbook, some jewels, a few bodyguards and took the Presidential (even though he only promoted himself to Colonel) plane to The Netherlands for good.

Then again, when he isn't lucid, he still hates America and any reference to the U.S. will still cause him to react with violence. After all, it's our fault that people don't want to be ruled by stealing, lying, murderous, dictator while living in poverty.

[Harold Mansfield]

Man was I wrong! I thought he ( Qadhafi) was getting wise n his old age. He is still a ruthless dictator. Good to see that not everyone in his regime stands by him:
Libya Jets In Malta, Pilots Seek Asylum (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/21/libya-jets-in-malta-pilot_n_826110.html)

[Reflo Ltd]

All of this unrest in the Middle East seems like it can go two ways. If we are lucky it becomes a move to democracy... if we are not so lucky the new control is taken by radical Islamists. Makes me think that sometimes the old evil is better than the new evil.

At least in Iraq we had input as to the direction of the future government. In these other countries I think we have no influence or control and I do not think Obama wants to get involved at all. Allowing the radicals to move into power in countries (even one country) with great wealth potential and military/development capabilities will be the worst thing that could happen.

[Harold Mansfield]

At least in Iraq we had input as to the direction of the future government. In these other countries I think we have no influence or control and I do not think Obama wants to get involved at all. Allowing the radicals to move into power in countries (even one country) with great wealth potential and military/development capabilities will be the worst thing that could happen.

It doesn't look like radicals anywhere. It really seems to be just the average people who are fed up and are seizing the opportunity. I think a group of organized radicals would have staged some sort of military coup.
Not saying they can't sneak in amongst the common folk. I'm sure a lot of people are looking to see how they can exploit the situation.
Either way, keeping some sort of military in place will be key or mass chaos will erupt and no one will be in charge.