[Dialogue] Jack's question on Bacevich

Thu Feb 10 17:15:57 CST 2011

A friend is currently auditing one of Andrew Bacevich's classes at Boston
University....here's what she reports:

"Bacevich only walked the students through several possible scenarios , ones
you have heard on the news of late, and emphasized  Egypt's role as peace
keeper with Israel."  

Thus far, he's not sharing thoughts (beyond these) in the classroom.

This class was on Monday of this week - which feels like a long time ago.

Geri

  _____  

From: dialogue-bounces at wedgeblade.net
[mailto:dialogue-bounces at wedgeblade.net] On Behalf Of Jack Gilles
Sent: Wednesday, February 09, 2011 12:34 PM
To: Colleague Dialogue
Subject: Re: [Dialogue] Any info on El Bayad

Randy, 

Yes, I've followed his columns on the Egyptian situation.  I also have found
watching Democracy Now to be very powerful.  It's important to not be naive
about what is happening.  It is very clear that the US "forces to be", by
that I mean the Pentagon, the CIA and many others in the business community
and elsewhere are scared to death of what this might lead to.  The Egyptian
military is listening to the Pentagon, as shown by the fact that the head of
the military flew to Washington right at the start of this uprising.
Stability is absolutely critical in maintaining the ability to have
predicable outcomes.  I found the revelation that many of the tanks around
the square are not Egyptian army tanks, but are actually US tanks that are
stored in Egypt (and elsewhere) as forward based reserves.  A renowned
reporter from the Independent newspaper noted the markings on the front of
the tanks are those that are for our deployed vehicles.  I would sure love
to hear what Andrew Bacevich is saying about all of this.

Jack
On Feb 9, 2011, at 11:18 AM, R Williams wrote:

All of which, Jack, adds to the situation that is causing the problem in the
first place.  Thomas Friedman has an excellent oped in today's NY Times.  He
draws a parallel between these demonstrations in Egypt and earlier ones
China.  Both are precipitated by the young ones, but in China where, they
had no politcal participation, most at least had a nominal standard of
living.  In Egypt, Friedman points out, they have neither.  If you can find
the article, it's worth the read.  I tried to post it on Facebook but not
sure if it's there or not.

Randy

--- On Wed, 2/9/11, Jack Gilles <icabombay at igc.org> wrote:

From: Jack Gilles <icabombay at igc.org>
Subject: Re: [Dialogue] Any info on El Bayad
To: "Colleague Dialogue" <dialogue at wedgeblade.net>
Date: Wednesday, February 9, 2011, 10:58 AM

This is part of what was written in the NY Times reporting on yesterday's
events in Egypt. 

.......More than 2,000 textile workers and others in Suez demonstrated as
well, Al Ahram reported, while in Luxor thousands hurt by the collapse of
the tourist industry marched to demand government benefits. There was no
immediate independent corroboration of the reports. 
At one factory in the textile town of Mahalla, more than striking 1,500
workers blocked roads, continuing a long-running dispute with the owner. And
more than 2,000 workers from the Sigma pharmaceutical company in the city of
Quesna went on strike while some 5,000 unemployed youth stormed a government
building in Aswan, demanding the dismissal of the governor. 
For many foreign visitors to Egypt, Aswan is known as a starting point or
destination for luxury cruises to and from Luxor on the Nile River. The
government's Ministry of Civil Aviation reported on Wednesday that flights
to Egypt had dropped by 70 percent since the protests began.

Jack         
On Feb 9, 2011, at 10:46 AM, Wayne Nelson wrote:

I think you're right, Randy.  It's huge. Imagine how many people could fit
in there. You can imagine all the side streets full as well. 

There was more likely more support for women's participation than we thought
at the time. There was no pattern for women's involvement at the time, but
as far as I know, no one who came was sent home. That we would have heard
about. Some women didn't come, simply because they did not go out of the
home much at all. Thinking about it now, I suspect there was far more
conversation about than we imagined.  There would have to have been.  That
sort of cultural ripple could not have gone without notice. We just didn't
get to hear all of it. 

I see Yassin's wife, Nagwa Abd El Moinem, on facebook too. Haven't caught
either her or Sabah for a chat yet.

\\/

"R Williams"  wrote:

Isn't that traffic circle near Tahrir Square the place where stands (or
stood) the huge statue, attributed to Madam Sadat, of the Egyptian woman
standing in traditional Muslim garb with her left had holding the veil away
from her face and her right hand on the head of the Lion of Egypt which was
kneeling at her feet?  I remember seeing this statue in some traffic circle
in Cairo, if not the one at Tahrir Square.  A depiction of the statue also
appeared on some Egyptian paper currency.  At the time some people referred
to the statue as "the new Egypt," and others as "the new Egyptian woman."
It certainly reflected the spirit of the women of Bayad who participated in
the HDP consult, as I recall without the approval of their husbands.

Randy

--- On Wed, 2/9/11, Wayne Nelson <wnelson at ica-associates.ca> wrote:

From: Wayne Nelson <wnelson at ica-associates.ca>
Subject: Re: [Dialogue] Any info on El Bayad
To: "Colleague Dialogue" <dialogue at wedgeblade.net>
Date: Wednesday, February 9, 2011, 9:45 AM

We have not had any direct contact.  Sabah Khalifa, ICA's ED, is back on her
Facebook account.  She lives in Beni Suef with her husband, Mohammed Gorrany
Ali.  Gorrany was the guy who ran the health clinic in the 70's. He and
Mohammed Hassan Oais are both on ICA's staff. We knew these guys as kids and
their parents were good friends.

Another friend in Minia, about an hour's drive from Bayad said nothing is
happening there. I don't think demonstrations have spread to the regional
cities.  They all seem to be watching.  He announced the anticipated birth
of triplets in September by saying, "My children will be born in the new
Egypt."   

My guess is that nothing at all is happening around Bayad and Beni Suef of
any magnitude.  

The demonstration is spreading throughout Cairo, beyond Tahrir Square.
That's the huge area with a massive traffic circle.  The "Mogamma', the big
federal building is at the the south end, the Nile Hilton along the river
and the Egyptian Museum at the north.  It's probably a full kilometer from
north to south and at least that wide.

\\/

"George Holcombe"  wrote:

> Sarah Buss was in an auto accident recently and is presently not able to
spend
> time to retrieve all our emails, but she did ask about El Bayad and if
anyone
> has any contact with the people there.

Thanks.

George Holcombe
14900
> Yellowleaf Tr.
Austin, TX 78728
Mobile
> 512/252-2756
geowanda at earthlink.net
<http://us.mc593.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=geowanda@earthlink.net> 

"...we have the choice: we can
> gratefully cultivate the relationships that make us part of a vast
network, or
> we can take them for granted and allow them to wither and die."  Brother
David
> Steindl-Rast, Deeper than
> Words

_______________________________________________
Dialogue mailing
> list
Dialogue at wedgeblade.net
<http://us.mc593.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Dialogue@wedgeblade.net> 
http://wedgeblade.net/mailman/listinfo/dialogue_w
> edgeblade.net <http://edgeblade.net/> 

< >  < >  < >  < >  < >
Wayne Nelson - ICA Associates Inc
ICA - 416-691-2316 - - - Cell - 647-229-6910
http://ica-associates.ca <http://ica-associates.ca/>
<http://ica-associates.ca/> 

_______________________________________________
Dialogue mailing list
Dialogue at wedgeblade.net
<http://us.mc593.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Dialogue@wedgeblade.net> 
http://wedgeblade.net/mailman/listinfo/dialogue_wedgeblade.net

  _____  

_______________________________________________
Dialogue mailing list
Dialogue at wedgeblade.net
http://wedgeblade.net/mailman/listinfo/dialogue_wedgeblade.net

< >  < >  < >  < >  < > 
Wayne Nelson - ICA Associates Inc
ICA - 416-691-2316 - - - Cell - 647-229-6910
http://ica-associates.ca <http://ica-associates.ca/> 

_______________________________________________
Dialogue mailing list
Dialogue at wedgeblade.net
<http://us.mc593.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Dialogue@wedgeblade.net> 
http://wedgeblade.net/mailman/listinfo/dialogue_wedgeblade.net

-----Inline Attachment Follows-----

_______________________________________________
Dialogue mailing list
Dialogue at wedgeblade.net
<http://us.mc593.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Dialogue@wedgeblade.net> 
http://wedgeblade.net/mailman/listinfo/dialogue_wedgeblade.net

_______________________________________________
Dialogue mailing list
Dialogue at wedgeblade.net
http://wedgeblade.net/mailman/listinfo/dialogue_wedgeblade.net

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://wedgeblade.net/pipermail/dialogue_wedgeblade.net/attachments/20110210/0dfa9189/attachment.html>