Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
28 January 2011
19:5790570Howard,And you think what I am saying is not serious ,again just wait and see.I think we are a oppressed people to.
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
28 January 2011
20:0590572vic,have we moved a few hundred miles south turned islamic,and started rioting on the streets yet,no not yet.but when we do i will let you know.
Guest 696- Registered: 31 Mar 2010
- Posts: 8,115
28 January 2011
20:4090592UKIP upholds democracy and democratic elections. No-one obliges people in Britain to vote for one standing party and not for another, and so people here have the possibility to choose. 'You wait and see' is not a UKIP manifesto.
As for the thread, Howard's note, that Egypt has 80 million people, is interesting. I can remember reading from a lexicon published in 1969 that Egypt had 34 million inhabitants. As we can see, the population of Egypt, and of all the Arabic-speaking countries, rises continuously, and this no-doubt requires the need for more irrigation to make some of the desert and semi-desert land fertile.
Lybia has carried out a vast project recently to supply water from the vast underground reserves near the coast, which is supplied for domestic and agricultural use. Other North African and Middle East countries do not have such water-reserves, and this means they will have ever increasing problems finding water for agricultural production and for the cattle, as an increasing population requires these two basic necessities on an ever larger scale.
I still affirm, as I have in the past on the Forum, that in Kent we should have a research acadamy to explore ways to supply the infrastructure for irrigation and soil-fertilisation to these and other countries, and this would also create employment here for us local people.
The ever-increasing population in many countries in the world requires this, and we should put to use our opportunities. Some Arab countries have huge reserves of cash to import such infrastucture, and could even contribute for the poorer countries.
Even if the Arab countries all had democracy as we know it, this would not resolve their major problem, which is lack of water for irrigation. May-be there are people in the Councils who would like to take up the consideration, it's a noble cause, and would have reciprocal benefits for us and for many other countries. Ways to make sea-water suitable for irrigation is probably the best solution.
In Britain, we could do a lot to promote this, and we should realise that:
1) not all Arabic-speaking countries have oil reserves;
2) those that do will one day start running out of oil and cash.
However, their populations increase every day. What they need is an extensive programme of irrigation to create new settlements for farmland and cattle.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
28 January 2011
21:1290595interesting post alexander, pity about the irrelevant reference to ukip.
with regard to population rise over the last 4 decades, ours has risen dramatically though not as much as egypt.
irrigation is not important in the oil rich arab states, they have desalination plants.
i know because i arranged e shipments of them back in the early eighties.
furthermore the bulk of egyptians live close to the nile, the rest of the country is mostly uninhabitable.
Guest 676- Registered: 1 Jul 2008
- Posts: 521
28 January 2011
23:1490606According to an American based Arabic website the family of President Mubarak has fled here to Britain.
Million-to-one chances crop up nine times out of ten.
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
28 January 2011
23:4090609Definitely looks like Mubarak has fled (his son left the day before yesterday). We just have to wait and see what comes next.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
28 January 2011
23:5490611Confusing stuff. According to the BBC Mubarak has dismissed his Cabinet and will announce a new Cabinet Saturday morning. Sounds like rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic to me.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
Guest 675- Registered: 30 Jun 2008
- Posts: 1,610
29 January 2011
11:0190637A first, a post from Alexander D that I agree with (ignoring the first paragraph).
At a meeting where the water companies justified metering because they were doing all they could to extract water from the current sources I kept wondering why they were avoiding exploring other options.
Saudi Arabia has different issues to other countries in the region. With its strong government ties to the west it could become a cause for Islamic extremism, encouraged by events in neighbouring countries.
Politics, it seems to me, for years, or all too long, has been concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong.
Richard Armour
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
29 January 2011
11:0590639the president still doesn't get it, the people want him out, not the cabinet.
the army are being very careful not to be seen taking sides.
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
29 January 2011
12:2690645Egyptian tweeters are calling for an interim government headed by Mohamed el Baradei, definitely NOT an Islamic state. They have stopped referring to protests and demonstrations- it's a Revolution.
The outcome is now entirely in the hands of the military. If they back the revolution we can at least hope for a peaceful transition to an interim government followed by democratic elections. If they back Mubarak we are in for a bloody civil war.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
29 January 2011
12:5490646i doubt that a religious take over was ever on the cards, the main opposition leader is very popular.
when you see the demonstrators, all are wearing western garb, very little sign of burgas.
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
29 January 2011
13:0390648There are important pockets of militant Islam in the poor rural areas, mainly in Upper Egypt and the Delta. While they would never be able to command a majority they can still try to destabilise the process of forming a new regime and therefore cannot be ignored.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
29 January 2011
13:3590649According to sources in the Egyptian Embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel is making preparations to welcome Hosni Mubarak into exile after Saudi Arabia rejected overtures.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
Guest 641- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 2,335
29 January 2011
13:4490650Lets us hope that Mubarak leaves soon if he hasn't already, as it could become a bloodbath if the army turn their guns on the people. Hopefully this will be a peaceful enough transition to a more open society, its was amazing to see the power of the internet informing the masses.
I agree with Howard & Peter this looks like a Revolution by the people and not an Islamic takeover in this case. Tinderbox times
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
29 January 2011
14:5090653Al Jazeera reporting that army is stopping the police from firing at protesters who are trying to storm Ministry of Interior HQ in Cairo
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
29 January 2011
17:2690671The army are acting as peacekeepers while Mubarak tries to put a new government together. Omar Sulaiman appointed vice president (previously head of state intelligence agency) and there will follow a number of other appointments which are designed to shore up Mubarak and appease the protesters. In my opinion it will not work. Thank goodness the army are sitting in the middle, this will save hundreds of lives.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
29 January 2011
18:2190675i suppose mubarak is surrounded by sycophants who are telling him that he can survive.
i think the army should take over in the interim, then after a period of calm hold an election.
trouble is that when the military take over they tend to like it and hang on for too long.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
29 January 2011
20:2390693latest news is that dave has made a personal phone call to president mubarak.
whether he was giving advice and support or just checking to see if he should cancel his forthcoming nile cruise is open to question.
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
29 January 2011
21:0490701howard,no probably offerd him a seat in the house of lords.
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
30 January 2011
11:5890722The army have now taken over the Interior Ministry which controls the civilian police. Mubarak took the police off the streets yesterday. This was a cynical ploy to keep demonstrators at home. No police = no security for your home/business/family so you stay at home to guard them against the gangs of looters who have emerged from the Cairo slums.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson