# Will Tunisian revolution inspire actions in other nations? (Now following Egypt.) \[ed. title\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 15, 2011, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-tunisian-revolution-inspire-actions-in-other-nations-now-following-egypt-ed-title/567703 "2011-01-15T09:24:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 28
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2011, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-tunisian-revolution-inspire-actions-in-other-nations-now-following-egypt-ed-title/567703/541 "2011-02-22T02:41:55Z")
[Operation “Libya White Fax”](http://www.boingboing.net/2011/02/21/operation-libya-whit.html) ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2011, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-tunisian-revolution-inspire-actions-in-other-nations-now-following-egypt-ed-title/567703/542 "2011-02-22T03:14:49Z")
Would you believe, [Tunisia again?](http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gIR8UZQiRQm-0b7gc1BIj5N0G1xw?docId=CNG.24d946fd7520b4d46888e004720be99f.4b1) ---
**Author:** ![Lochdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/edb3f5/32.png) [@Lochdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lochdale)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2011, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-tunisian-revolution-inspire-actions-in-other-nations-now-following-egypt-ed-title/567703/543 "2011-02-22T06:15:58Z")
> [@Le\_Jacquelope](#): > > We’re going to have to wait until whites are no longer the majority in the U.S. for revolutions like that to happen. No, really. When you look at the exit polls 9 out of 10 blacks and 2 out of every 3 Hispanics voted for Democrats. The ONLY racial group that people like Boehner won with was white voters. (This is not racism, it is a fact of voting statistics.) > > Furthermore, non-white births became the majority of births in 2010. We may very well see a racially multi-lateral America by 2050 and going by current trends Republicanism will not survive. Yea things will be a lot more stable then…I’m not aeeing this as a good thing. Ymmv. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2011, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-tunisian-revolution-inspire-actions-in-other-nations-now-following-egypt-ed-title/567703/544 "2011-02-22T06:22:55Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Would you believe, [Tunisia again?](http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gIR8UZQiRQm-0b7gc1BIj5N0G1xw?docId=CNG.24d946fd7520b4d46888e004720be99f.4b1) Seems understandable. It’s as if Bush had been forced to resign and replaced by Cheney. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Jacquelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Le\_Jacquelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Jacquelope)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2011, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-tunisian-revolution-inspire-actions-in-other-nations-now-following-egypt-ed-title/567703/545 "2011-02-22T06:45:04Z")
> [@Lochdale](#): > > Yea things will be a lot more stable then…I’m not aeeing this as a good thing. Ymmv. Awwww, the world’s gonna end as soon as America gets overrun by all the brown people. Boo hoo. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2011, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-tunisian-revolution-inspire-actions-in-other-nations-now-following-egypt-ed-title/567703/546 "2011-02-22T16:34:23Z")
Dafy Gaddafi’s blowing a gut on TV right now. BBC is showing it live. He is rambling and rambling. The bottom line seems to be he is the law in Libya and will kill all opponents. He’s sure taking a long time to say it. ---
**Author:** ![Agnostic\_Pagan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c4cdca/32.png) [@Agnostic\_Pagan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agnostic_Pagan)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2011, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-tunisian-revolution-inspire-actions-in-other-nations-now-following-egypt-ed-title/567703/547 "2011-02-22T18:51:05Z")
For countries like Iran and Algeria where street protests are being cracked down hard, how would those countries fare if a general strike was called? What that be enough to bring down these regimes if was widespread enough? I am certain the leaders have pretty good stockpiles, but enough for all their supporters if the whole country shut down? Has a general strike ever brought down a government? because if I was in Tehran or Algiers, I would be secretly stockpiling rice, beans, water and cooking fuel, then just sit at home - while making sure enough people are doing the same - so the question is how many would be enough? I doubt those countries would be able to force everyone back to work. Any historical examples? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2011, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-tunisian-revolution-inspire-actions-in-other-nations-now-following-egypt-ed-title/567703/548 "2011-02-22T19:01:29Z")
> [@Agnostic\_Pagan](#): > > For countries like Iran and Algeria where street protests are being cracked down hard, how would those countries fare if a general strike was called? What that be enough to bring down these regimes if was widespread enough? I am certain the leaders have pretty good stockpiles, but enough for all their supporters if the whole country shut down? > > Has a general strike ever brought down a government? because if I was in Tehran or Algiers, I would be secretly stockpiling rice, beans, water and cooking fuel, then just sit at home - while making sure enough people are doing the same - so the question is how many would be enough? I doubt those countries would be able to force everyone back to work. > > Any historical examples? [The Egyptian revolution included a general strike.](http://www.asianews.it/news-en/General-strike-called-in-Cairo-as-opposition-demands-caretaker-government-20640.html) ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-tunisian-revolution-inspire-actions-in-other-nations-now-following-egypt-ed-title/567703/549 "2011-02-25T03:36:45Z")
It seems there are 23,000 Thais living in Libya. There’s a plan to evacuate 10,000 of them immediately, but I’m not sure exactly how that’s going to work. Usually with these sorts of plans from the Thai government, wishful thinking plays a large part. Daffy Gadhafi’s latest screed was just as entertaining as the others. A 20-minute phone call from unknown parts. He actually compared himself with Queen Elizabeth. Said there are rulers who have been in power much longer than he has, such as Queen Elizabeth, and nothing’s happened to her. Also claimed al-Qaeda is behind the Libyan uprising. Warned parents that Osama bin Laden is giving alcohol and drugs to their children to make them revolt. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2011, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-tunisian-revolution-inspire-actions-in-other-nations-now-following-egypt-ed-title/567703/550 "2011-03-13T16:39:26Z")
[Egyptians Get View of Extent of Spying](http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/10/world/middleeast/10cairo.html?_r=4) Excerpt: **“There are lists of informants from inside the Muslim Brotherhood and the names of judges who helped rig local elections. Even for young activists who knew they were being monitored, the level of detail has been sobering: one found a picture of herself at a party; another discovered transcripts of text messages exchanged with her husband; a third leafed through a biography of his famous grandfather, a former Brotherhood leader.”** ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2011, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-tunisian-revolution-inspire-actions-in-other-nations-now-following-egypt-ed-title/567703/551 "2011-04-01T23:14:07Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Could you give me Assad first? We can alternate - one pro-Israeli regime, one anti. Starting to look like you might get your wish. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2011, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-tunisian-revolution-inspire-actions-in-other-nations-now-following-egypt-ed-title/567703/552 "2011-04-02T00:03:44Z")
I said “might,” mind you. Assad is really strong and, still, apparently really popular. But, [the protests won’t stop, and several protesters were killed today.](http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/04/201141132440493496.html) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-tunisian-revolution-inspire-actions-in-other-nations-now-following-egypt-ed-title/567703.md?page=27)