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The Forum > Article Comments > What Lies behind Egypt’s Problems? How do They Affect Others? > Comments

What Lies behind Egypt’s Problems? How do They Affect Others? : Comments

By Gail Tverberg, published 4/2/2011

Peak oil in Egypt means that funds are no longer available to cross-subsidise the living standards of the population.

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Once again, it is asserted by the actions of USA and Israel that democracy in certain parts of the world is not in the best interests of the USA and Israel." While it will be readily admitted that the current regimes in the Middle East suppress freedom, these regimes are believed to also suppress a far worse alternative: the radicals and fundamentalists who might win democratic elections. The message is clear from USA and Israel. It is better to deal with a Middle Eastern dictatorship that is the friend of USA and Israel than a democratic regime that is their enemy. One thing is for sure this development in Egypt will prove many points and illusions to the Arab world that, USA will support democracy in Middle East only for material gains. As long as they have the Arab Kings and dictators who play puppets to USA and serve their cause with regards to Israel they will close the eyes on the atrocities committed by them. Time for the whole Arab to wake up and realize the intentions of USA and Israel. Call for liberation from the monarchism and dictatorships and strive in the way of popular governments through democracy
Posted by Shaik, Tuesday, 8 February 2011 5:50:26 PM
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Peter,

Fair enough. However I think that the unlikely abolition of fiat money and going back to some sort of pre-medieval system based on carrying around bits of metal would result in debt being the least of our problems.
Posted by wobbles, Wednesday, 9 February 2011 1:11:54 AM
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The radical camp in the Middle East is gaining strength, Ashkenazi warned, adding that "the moderate camp among the traditional Arab leadership is weakening."

He also made note of what he characterized as the "fascinating phenomenon" whereby power is shifting to the people of the region thanks to online social networks.

The army chief said that in the wake of the growing threat of radical* Islam among Israel*s neighbors,

the defense budget
would have to be boosted in the coming years.

Commentary:
"Radical Islam?"

I would point out that Iran became an Islamic state in 1979 and from that day to this have not invaded anyone.

Not one. Nada. Zip. Not even once.

This stands as quite a contrast to the Jewish state, Israel, which attacked Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, along with assassinations like the screw-up in Dubai and attacks on humanitarian aid flotillas in international waters.

Then there is the United States, officially a secular nation but predominantly Christian, which since 1979 has attacked El Salvador (1980), Libya (1981), Sinai (1982), Lebanon (1982 1983), Egypt (1983), Grenada (1983), Honduras (1983), Chad (1983), Persian Gulf (1984), Libya (1986) , Bolivia (1986), Iran (1987), Persian Gulf (1987), Kuwait (1987), Iran (1988), Honduras (1988), Panama (1988), Libya (1989), Panama (1989), Colombia, Bolivia, and Peru (1989), Philippines (1989), Panama (1989-1990), Liberia (1990), Saudi Arabia (1990), Iraq (1991), Zaire (1991), Sierra Leone (1992), Somalia (1992), Bosnia-Herzegovina (1993 to present), Macedonia (1993), Haiti (1994), Macedonia (1994), Bosnia (1995), Liberia (1996), Central African Republic (1996), Albania (1997), Congo/Gabon (1997), Sierra Leon (1997), Cambodia (1997), Iraq (1998), Guinea/Bissau (1998), Kenya/Tanzania (1998 to 1999), Afghanistan/Sudan (1998), Liberia (1998), East Timor (1999), Serbia (1999), Sierra Leon (2000), Yemen (2000), East Timor (2000), Afghanistan (2001 to present), Yemen (2002), Philippines (2002) , Cote d'Ivoire (2002), Iraq (2003 to present), Liberia (2003), Georgia/Djibouti (2003), Haiti (2004), Georgia/Djibouti/Kenya/Ethiopia/Yemen/Eritrea War on Terror (2004), Pakistan drone attacks (2004 to present), Somalia (2007), South Ossetia/Georgia (2008), Syria (2008), Yemen (2009), Haiti (2010), etc. etc. etc. etc.
Posted by one under god, Wednesday, 9 February 2011 6:24:48 AM
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wobbles
Well that's really argument by assuming what's in issue and name-calling.

If the alternative to fiat money is so bad and “pre-mediaeval”, then there’s no need for fiat money to be maintained by criminalizing the competition, is there? People would *voluntarily* prefer government inflation-paper to sound money? Obviously not!

People carry around bits of metal today as money. There would be no more need of it with sound money– that’s how banknotes originated.

“… [a non-fiat-money system] would result in debt being the least of our problems.”

This implies that fiat money provides us lots of benefits and solves lots of problems. It doesn’t. It is just fraud, simple as that. It provides no social benefits, and enormous economic, social and moral disadvantages.

“the unlikely abolition of fiat money”
There is nothing *economically* difficult about abolishing fiat money. Any nation could adopt sound money at any time.

The difficulties are political – the elite don’t want to give up a privilege by which they can quietly parasitise the rest of the population while ever the population raise no protest about it, or indeed wrongly believe it to be beneficial.

But the political difficulties in turn depend on public opinion and, as Egypt is showing, ‘There is nothing so powerful as an idea whose time has come’. The abolition of slavery took place in a short time, as did the fall of the Soviet Union.

There is no sound ethical or economical reason why fiat money should not be abolished. It should not be defended, it should be condemned, it is a prime cause of bad government the world over. The world would be more peaceful, more prosperous, more free and more just without it.
Posted by Peter Hume, Wednesday, 9 February 2011 8:55:46 AM
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"Time for the whole Arab to wake up and realize the intentions of USA and Israel. Call for liberation from the monarchism and dictatorships and strive in the way of popular governments through democracy" Shaik

If it were possible for a Islamic country to be truly democratic and Islamic, the country would have been Pakistan.

Pakistan was founded on the ideal land of the "spiritually pure and clean". The implication was that the Muslims of British (colonial)India wanted to keep themselves "pure" and uncorrupted by the Hindus. They have to be physically separated and living in a different land.

Islam is a politcal ideology invented to mentally enslave its followers by threatening them with a fear of "hell" by some kind of a monotheistic "god".

What lies behind Egypt's problem is what lies behind all Islamic countries.

The more Islamic they are the less democratic they become. Mobs go around burning temples, synagogues, churches, etc. They become intolerant and violent in the name of "religion".
Posted by Philip Tang, Wednesday, 9 February 2011 12:56:20 PM
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An interesting article by ex-USA ambassador to Malaysia.

This is typical of an Islamic country which discriminates against non-Muslims. A mass migration of its talents, most of them are non-Muslims. Then the economic rot starts, later it becomes a failed state like Pakistan.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704422204576129663620557634.html
Posted by Philip Tang, Friday, 11 February 2011 12:59:19 AM
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