Breaking: Turkey expels Israeli ambassador

[Martinus]

It remains to be seen if those things are good news.  They have potential yes..but seeing a few eggs being broken doesn't necessarily mean a tasty omelet is about to be served.

I think they're all good so far.  We should be happy with 100 million more people not living in dysfunctional totalitarian regimes until it's demonstrated that the alternative really is worse.

Indeed.

[Valmy]

I think they're all good so far.  We should be happy with 100 million more people not living in dysfunctional totalitarian regimes until it's demonstrated that the alternative really is worse.

Yeah I will be happy as soon as they are living in functional regimes.  Until then I am guardedly optimistic.  Times like this are excellent openings for opportunists.

[Sheilbh]

Yeah I will be happy as soon as they are living in functional regimes.  Until then I am guardedly optimistic.  Times like this are excellent openings for opportunists.

Yeah and things'll be shaky and risky and so on and that's inevitable.  Revolutions, even relatively peaceful ones aren't easy.  But I think this is a manifestation of anti-Muslim bias.  I don't think there was as much teeth gnashing regarding Latin America, or Eastern Europe, or the Philippines in the 80s and I think if Burma's clerical monk-led revolution had succeeded there similarly wouldn't be aby worry.  We should be simply happy that more people are free now than were six months ago and wish them well and hope for the best.

This is the first time when we in the West have a chance to actually be on the side of the Arab people and we shouldn't miss it.

[Valmy]

Revolutions, even relatively peaceful ones aren't easy.  But I think this is a manifestation of anti-Muslim bias.

It is a manifestation of anti-Middle East bias.  That is a tricky part of the world.  I am not exactly brimming with confidence in the Israelis either.

And if you think I greet each change in regime in Latin America as all gumdrops and light you clearly do not read my posts on this board.

This is the first time when we in the West have a chance to actually be on the side of the Arab people and we shouldn't miss it.

And what would being on their side look like?  We helped them take down Gaddafi didn't we?

[Sheilbh]

And if you think I greet each change in regime in Latin America as all gumdrops and light you clearly do not read my posts on this board.

I meant in the 80s as Latin America generally shifted from a series of authoritarian states to flawed democracies, but democracies nonetheless.

Edit:  And I don't mean you specifically, but the general attitude towards these uprisings.

[Valmy]

Edit:  And I don't mean you specifically, but the general attitude towards these uprisings.

Ah well.  You have to understand the chicken littles have been informing us for decades that as soon as our precious Dictators lose power rabid fundamentalist Islamic states will spring up.  Having the same stuff be fed to us for thirty years has an effect.

[grumbler]

I think they're all good so far.  We should be happy with 100 million more people not living in dysfunctional totalitarian regimes until it's demonstrated that the alternative really is worse.

Egyptians still live in a dysfunctional totalitarian regime, whose puppet masters have changed puppets.  Ben Ali's departure looks right now to have ben a good thing.  Gaddafi's departure could be good, or could be like the death of Tito.

Overall, I would rate the news from the Middle East as Not Good.

[Iormlund]

Edit:  And I don't mean you specifically, but the general attitude towards these uprisings.

Ah well.  You have to understand the chicken littles have been informing us for decades that as soon as our precious Dictators lose power rabid fundamentalist Islamic states will spring up.  Having the same stuff be fed to us for thirty years has an effect.

How many examples led to believe the contrary during those years? Certainly not Iran, Afghanistan or Algeria ...

[Ed Anger]

I just expelled last night's Taco bell ambassador.

[Iormlund]

Did he make a fuss?

[Ed Anger]

Did he make a fuss?

A little bit.

[Viking]

I've sort of been expecting this since Shimon Peres de-balled erdogan, amr moussa and ban ki moon at davos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOzMrxX9NfI

[Neil]

The emergence of a reasonably credible Palestinian 'state'.

Is it just me, or is the Palestinian 'state' less credible now than it was five years ago?

[Admiral Yi]

Is it just me, or is the Palestinian 'state' less credible now than it was five years ago?

The West Bank government is considerably more credible than it was under Yes Sir.

[Neil]

Is it just me, or is the Palestinian 'state' less credible now than it was five years ago?

The West Bank government is considerably more credible than it was under Yes Sir.

I suppose if you ignore the whole Gaza issue.