What is it with all these tinpot countries kicking off?

[sten_super]

An interesting tweet I saw a few days agon, wont be able to find it when something like this: 'No America, we don't hate your freedoms, you hate ours'.

I don't get that, seems more like that particular person is trying to make it into an anti-USA protest than anything else. True, the US has significantly backed Mubarak in recent times, but they quickly realised that they were backing the wrong horse and have been applying pressure for him to resign.

The situation in Egypt is very difficult; while it is clear that Mubarak is finished, the 'international community' is very concerned at the prospect of a power vacuum, which would most likely be filled by the Muslim Brotherhood, a (percieved) hardline Islamic group. At the very least, it would make life a damnsight more tricky for Israel, and could lead to the severe 'Islamification' of the entire country (by which I mean introduction of Sharia law, persecution of other religions, etc.).

 

[Stoo82]

OK.

History
UK - ruled half the literate world for a few hundred years
Egypt - ruled all the literate world for 2,000 years

Erm, what kind of argument is this?

Do you really think that all the people in Egypt were literate? There are more people in my household that can read than in Ancent Egypt. Does that mean my Empire is as powerful as the ancent Egyptian?

Also, the Egyptian Empire was this big:

where as the British Empire was this big:

How can you possibly compare the two?

EDIT: Also, just to add, I don't think you given enough credit to the most ancent civilizationsof China and India who I never remember hearing Eygpt ever 'rule'.

 

[Dave the OAP]

No surprises how the usual suspects somehow unfavourably compare our own country to a foreign one, in an attempt to be 'balance'.

Well having been there many times and not the resorts, much of it is desperately poor and quite filthy.

So not sure that their ancient history is very relevant to them presently, so I think the word 'tinpot' is quite appropriate

Is that your official party policy as a elected representative councillor, or your individual opinion?

 

[8ace]

The involvement of camels in riots is something we don't see enough of:

 

[BigGully]

Don't think you could accuse Egypt of being tin pot. They were just about the first real civilisation and they have a lot oil apart from anything else. In fact what's happening there right now has happened here in the past (Remember the English Civil War ?)

Not quite current news ...... ancient means ancient and isnt relevant to the desperately poor people that live in squalor today in that Country.

The reason for the rioting is that their people think its a 'tinpot' country .......

 

[Trufflehound]

OK.

History
UK - ruled half the literate world for a few hundred years
Egypt - ruled all the literate world for 2,000 years

And I bet Susanna Hoffs never walked like an Englishman.

 

[The Spanish]

Erm, what kind of argument is this?

Do you really think that all the people in Egypt were literate? There are more people in my household that can read than in Ancent Egypt. Does that mean my Empire is as powerful as the ancent Egyptian?

Also, the Egyptian Empire was this big:

where as the British Empire was this big:

How can you possibly compare the two?

EDIT: Also, just to add, I don't think you given enough credit to the most ancent civilizationsof China and India who I never remember hearing Eygpt ever 'rule'.

interesting you omit greece in our list of formerly magnificent civilisations and empires that went down the crapper spectacularly.

 

[El Presidente]

Well having been there many times and not the resorts, much of it is desperately poor and quite filthy.

I've been to Hackney too!

 

[Hunting 784561]

Egypt gave us fractions and a parliamentary system, did they not? I'm pretty sure they started scribing things well before we did.

The ancient Egyptians were far more sophisticated than most of the posters on here.

ahem

 

[¤DãŃn¥ §êãGüLL¤]

Egypt ... tinpot?

Yeah but they do have a tendancy to shit in their hands and rub it up the walls over there.

 

[Napper]

Alot of people are going to regret what they have stirred up

 

[Stoo82]

interesting you omit greece in our list of formerly magnificent civilisations and empires that went down the crapper spectacularly.

and Babablon, Persia, and many more - all who where once ruled by the Egyptians.

 

[NMH]

Yeah but they do have a tendancy to shit in their hands and rub it up the walls over there.

I heard they use only ONE hand to rub shit on walls, after they miss the commode in fancy hotels. They use the other hand for eating.
So shame on you, they are far more civilized.

 

[simmo]

Then Sharm is not for you, and in fairness, us either.
But if you want guaranteed hot weather, good beach great swimming/snorkelling and r&r night life, Sharms the place.

We were completely stressed out when we went, and Sharm was exactly what we needed.

I think, flying home, we said words to the effect of:-
'that was great, but lets not get into the situation that means we need to go back'!.

I went to Sharm three/four months ago and it is very nice and I concur with what you said, came back around the 15th Nov and as the sun was setting on the 10th 25C+ day in a row I said that is the last time we will feel any heat until April. Seems like I went at just the right time, in December there was the shark attacks that devasted Sharm's tourist industry and now this which, although in Cairo can't help.

I went on the day trip to Cairo and saw the pyramids/sphynx etc and the reason why the people are rebelling is because in some of their cases they literally have nothing to lose. I have seen the Shanty towns on the hillsides in South Africa but I really think some of the worst conditions I have ever seen in my life is in Cairo. I saw 6/8 people living in a traffic island between two 6 lane highways, all they had as shelter was four poles and about 5 blankets stitched together, if they now can't afford food (which seems to be the underlying problem) what else do they have to lose. It was Winter when I was there and it was still warm, but imagine what it would be like in the summer with 40C+ heat and all those vehicle exhaust fumes. We talk about poverty in the UK but nothing like this, good luck to those poor people I say, but I will put in the caveat of I hope they get what they deserve and not some other new despot/dictator further down the line after all the dust has settled.

 

[Scampi]

OK.

History
UK - ruled half the literate world for a few hundred years
Egypt - ruled all the literate world for 2,000 years

Not exactly true though is it. I can't quite recall which dynasty it was that conquered China or India.

 

[severnside gull]

"O wad some Power the giftie gie us To see oursels as ithers see us!"

I was in Holland during the recent student demonstrations (I use the word advisedly but "riots" might be more apt) and being called tinpot would have been polite compared to many of the comments I heard.

 

[surrey jim]

If you want to holiday there, prices are very cheap in the Red Sea resorts right now, in places like Sharm-el-Sheikh which has its own airport and has had no protests, but have a lot of empty rooms. Quite a lot of people have been snapping up bargain prices for all inclusive holidays with a bit of diving thrown in.

Was very tempted with this but Mrs Surrey Jim could not be persuaded to go there.

 

[Gritt23]

No idea. I am being a snob and relying on what I have garnered from a couple of friends that have been and the whole idea of a resort. I don't like the idea of being crammed in with fellow tourists and being force fed a [insert country] experience.

That sounds preferable to back-packing through Cairo though.

 

[chops]

If you want to holiday there, prices are very cheap in the Red Sea resorts right now, in places like Sharm-el-Sheikh which has its own airport and has had no protests, but have a lot of empty rooms.

On the downside you will almost certainly be eaten by a shark working for mossad.
Shark 'sent to Egypt by Mossad' - Telegraph

 

[Fitzcarraldo]

Also, the Egyptian Empire was this big:

where as the British Empire was this big:

How can you possibly compare the two?

EDIT: Also, just to add, I don't think you given enough credit to the most ancent civilizationsof China and India who I never remember hearing Eygpt ever 'rule'.

The size of the empire needs to be taken in context with the empire's time period. The 1920's were in the age of mass communication, vast distances could be travelled very easily and there were very few blank spots on the map. Whereas the Egyptian empire ruled over pretty much what would have been the known world to them, something that the British Empire could certainly not claim. In hindsight the British Empire is geographically larger, but it takes little imagination to think that the Egyptians at the time probablt considered themselves masters of the world.