# 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:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Liam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ryan_liam/32/3965_2.png) [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-tunisian-revolution-inspire-actions-in-other-nations-now-following-egypt-ed-title/567703/61 "2011-01-28T16:48:34Z")
Well they just burnt down the NDP building. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-tunisian-revolution-inspire-actions-in-other-nations-now-following-egypt-ed-title/567703/62 "2011-01-28T17:02:34Z")
[Interesting](http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/01/201112810059478272.html). (and maybe this should all go to MPSIMS but anyway) > [@](#): > > Egyptian military vehicles were sighted on the streets of Cairo on Friday after a day of violent clashes between police and protesters demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak’s rule. > > Protesters had previously chanted slogans calling for the army to support them, complaining of police violence during clashes on Friday in which security forces fired teargas and rubber bullets. > > “Where is the army? Come and see what the police is doing to us. We want the army. We want the army,” the protesters in one area of central Cairo shouted, shortly before police fired teargas on them. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-tunisian-revolution-inspire-actions-in-other-nations-now-following-egypt-ed-title/567703/63 "2011-01-28T17:04:46Z")
> [@Ryan\_Liam](#): > > Well they just burnt down the NDP building. NDP being the National Democratic Party, the current ruling party. So [the current ruling party’s headquarters in Cairo and other Egyptian cities](http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Egypt-ruling-party-HQ-ablaze-after-protests/articleshow/7380969.cms) have been overrun and set on fire. This isn’t good for Mubarak. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-tunisian-revolution-inspire-actions-in-other-nations-now-following-egypt-ed-title/567703/64 "2011-01-28T17:07:23Z")
**Tom** , from what I’ve been reading this morning, the Egyptian Army has a much better reputation for fairness than the state police. The state police are thugs, as far as I understand. Of course, from other things I’ve read, the army is at least a major part of what’s kept Mubarak in power all this time, so I don’t know, if that’s true, why the protesters would think the army would be more sympathetic. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-tunisian-revolution-inspire-actions-in-other-nations-now-following-egypt-ed-title/567703/65 "2011-01-28T17:10:40Z")
Dunno if they expect it or they’re hoping for it; in either case, the protests are pretty much doomed unless the army comes on-side or is at best neutral (Tunisia: army sided with protestors; Lebanon c. 2005: Army stayed neutral and didn’t enforce a curfew. Iran: not so much.) ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-tunisian-revolution-inspire-actions-in-other-nations-now-following-egypt-ed-title/567703/66 "2011-01-28T17:21:17Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Are we sure we even want that to happen, if Islamists might win them? Only if we actually believe in democracy and stuff. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-tunisian-revolution-inspire-actions-in-other-nations-now-following-egypt-ed-title/567703/67 "2011-01-28T17:22:18Z")
The Army has prospered under Mubarak; my feeling is that they won 't be eager to desert him unless it appears that he’s absolutely unsustainable. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-tunisian-revolution-inspire-actions-in-other-nations-now-following-egypt-ed-title/567703/68 "2011-01-28T17:24:05Z")
Interesting tidbit on [Al Jazeera English’s liveblog](http://blogs.aljazeera.net/middle-east/2011/01/28/friday-protests-liveblog): > [@](#): > > 7:15 pm - The military has now arrived in Alexandria, though Rawya Rageh reports that they aren’t confronting the protesters there with violence. In fact, she says, they are giving them the thumbs up. And now I have work that I really should have been doing for the past hour and a half. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-tunisian-revolution-inspire-actions-in-other-nations-now-following-egypt-ed-title/567703/69 "2011-01-28T17:27:46Z")
[Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera](http://english.aljazeera.net/watch_now/) English language live stream Al Jazeera have excellent coverage of this ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-tunisian-revolution-inspire-actions-in-other-nations-now-following-egypt-ed-title/567703/70 "2011-01-28T17:38:00Z")
I just hope we dont see any savage repression kinda stuff. Sooner or later somebody hauls the old spiked club out of the bag. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-tunisian-revolution-inspire-actions-in-other-nations-now-following-egypt-ed-title/567703/71 "2011-01-28T17:40:09Z")
> [@spark240](#): > > Only if we actually believe in democracy and stuff. Problem is, when Islamists take over, democratically or otherwise, the first thing to go is democracy, followed shortly by such “and stuff” as human rights, especially for women. Subsequent attempts at democracy are typically met with the old spiked club. ---
**Author:** ![Dick\_Dastardly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c4cdca/32.png) [@Dick\_Dastardly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dick_Dastardly)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-tunisian-revolution-inspire-actions-in-other-nations-now-following-egypt-ed-title/567703/72 "2011-01-28T17:48:58Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Would the Saudis even offer Mubarak sanctuary? Egypt’s been seen, to the best of my knowledge, as Israel’s stooge since Camp David. It was a probable reason for Sadat’s assassination, and Mubarak has kept up that kind of neutrality toward Israel…they were cooperating on isolating Gaza, for instance. Oh yeah, the Saudis are fine with Israel in reality, or at least the Al Saud family heads are. Saudi have offered Israel airspace and refuelling over their territory if they ever attack Iran, plus a bunch of other stuff. They’re best pals with Mubarak too. Both leaders are American clients. ---
**Author:** ![Dick\_Dastardly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c4cdca/32.png) [@Dick\_Dastardly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dick_Dastardly)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-tunisian-revolution-inspire-actions-in-other-nations-now-following-egypt-ed-title/567703/73 "2011-01-28T17:50:38Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > NDP being the National Democratic Party, the current ruling party. So [the current ruling party’s headquarters in Cairo and other Egyptian cities](http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Egypt-ruling-party-HQ-ablaze-after-protests/articleshow/7380969.cms) have been overrun and set on fire. This isn’t good for Mubarak. This is the kind of thing that Mubarak’s security people will do to create an image of the demonstrators as lawless thugs, criminals etc. There’ll be a lot of this kind of stuff going on and it’ll almost certainly be perpetrated by the ruling regime to try and make the protestors look bad. ---
**Author:** ![Capitaine\_Zombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-tunisian-revolution-inspire-actions-in-other-nations-now-following-egypt-ed-title/567703/74 "2011-01-28T17:54:55Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > **Tom** , from what I’ve been reading this morning, the Egyptian Army has a much better reputation for fairness than the state police. The state police are thugs, as far as I understand. Of course, from other things I’ve read, the army is at least a major part of what’s kept Mubarak in power all this time, so I don’t know, if that’s true, why the protesters would think the army would be more sympathetic. Funnily I would tend to think it works like the “Tropico” videogame. Where the President(e) comes from plays a role in his possible supports in times of crisis. Ben Ali had mostly a police background, and damn if it shows on how he ran things in Tunisia, he was mostly relying on his police, not his army. Mubarak is a former high-ranking military, so I doubt he has the same relationship with his army that Ben Ali had with his. Of course, it’s not just “hey, he’s one of our guys, let’s back him up”, it’s simply that the networks that were crucial in seizing power will tend to be favored by the regime. They become part of the power base. I’m no expert on Egypt,and I really wonder how the Egyptian army will behave. I doubt the US will play a role in the Egyptian “troubles” similar to what they allegedly did in Tunisia (convincing the army not to intervene). I do hope though that they dont offer their help in culling the rebellion, like France did a week ago with Tunisia. The thing that blows my mind here is how all this started from tiny littlely Tunisia, one of the most insignificant Arab countries, and though a dictature, far from being the worst in terms of economic conditions or even liberty. These are interesting times. ---
**Author:** ![Capitaine\_Zombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-tunisian-revolution-inspire-actions-in-other-nations-now-following-egypt-ed-title/567703/75 "2011-01-28T17:56:56Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > Problem is, when Islamists take over, democratically or otherwise, the first thing to go is democracy, followed shortly by such “and stuff” as human rights, especially for women. Subsequent attempts at democracy are typically met with the old spiked club. Yeah, Turkey comes to mind. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-tunisian-revolution-inspire-actions-in-other-nations-now-following-egypt-ed-title/567703/76 "2011-01-28T17:57:29Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > Problem is, when Islamists take over, democratically or otherwise, the first thing to go is democracy, followed shortly by such “and stuff” as human rights, especially for women. Subsequent attempts at democracy are typically met with the old spiked club. Well, it will be up to the Egyptians to sort that out. The Islamist aspect of the present revolt, while not absent, hasn’t seemed to dominate. It seems that the Egyptian opposition (being described by journalists on the scene at this moment as a “rainbow coalition” of diverse groups and interests) sees their best chance for freedom and human rights in the banishment of the old regime. Go Egypt! ---
**Author:** ![Lochdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/edb3f5/32.png) [@Lochdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lochdale)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-tunisian-revolution-inspire-actions-in-other-nations-now-following-egypt-ed-title/567703/77 "2011-01-28T18:45:15Z")
> [@Capitaine\_Zombie](#): > > Yeah, Turkey comes to mind. Oh good gried, have you made even a basic effort to read up on Turkey’s rather troubling history between the secularists and the Islamists? Sometimes I wonder how tolerant people would be if if this were some radical Chistian sect trying to overthrow a dictatorate. Can’t see Egypt falling but then Mubarak has been in poor health and his sucession plan hasn’t really picked up steam just yet. ---
**Author:** ![Capitaine\_Zombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-tunisian-revolution-inspire-actions-in-other-nations-now-following-egypt-ed-title/567703/78 "2011-01-28T18:56:50Z")
> [@Lochdale](#): > > Oh good gried, have you made even a basic effort to read up on Turkey’s rather troubling history between the secularists and the Islamists? No idea what’s that supposed to mean in relation to what I wrote. Care to elaborate? ---
**Author:** ![Lochdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/edb3f5/32.png) [@Lochdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lochdale)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-tunisian-revolution-inspire-actions-in-other-nations-now-following-egypt-ed-title/567703/79 "2011-01-28T19:17:58Z")
> [@Capitaine\_Zombie](#): > > No idea what’s that supposed to mean in relation to what I wrote. Care to elaborate? I assumed you were being sarcastic in your prior post. If not, I wsa wrong so nothing to elaborate. ---
**Author:** ![Capitaine\_Zombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-tunisian-revolution-inspire-actions-in-other-nations-now-following-egypt-ed-title/567703/80 "2011-01-28T19:25:57Z")
> [@Lochdale](#): > > I assumed you were being sarcastic in your prior post. If not, I wsa wrong so nothing to elaborate. I was being sarcastic. Turkey didnt start stamping out opposition with “old spiked clubs” nor killing women since an “Islamist” government was elected. Despite so many claiming that was bound to happen. Islamists can vary considerably, sometimes they’d be more or less Muslim equivalents of the Christian Democrats types, sometimes they’d be conservative but not djihadist types, and sometimes they could also be precisely djihadists. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-tunisian-revolution-inspire-actions-in-other-nations-now-following-egypt-ed-title/567703.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-tunisian-revolution-inspire-actions-in-other-nations-now-following-egypt-ed-title/567703.md?page=5)