Hosni Mubarak finally steps down • Hacker News Board

Re: Hosni Mubarak finally steps down

#131

Post by hcho » Fri, Feb 11, 2011, 11:59 PM UTC

zalew wrote: post #120

jarek wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hungary '56. Let's not get into a contest here.

We could probably go back to the 50s and all the events all around the eastern block during those times but that was not the point. Just that the events around 1980 (Gdansk .pl, Velvet .cz.sk) started the domino effect which led to dropping the Berlin Wall and eventually failure of the USSR. No contest here.

To be pedantic, it was the economic inefficiencies of the communist bloc that started everything. Events were just inevitablities.

Re: Hosni Mubarak finally steps down

#132

Post by defen » Sat, Feb 12, 2011, 12:45 AM UTC

siculars wrote: post #123

defen wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I see this kind of reaction, I can't help but think that the speaker is a "True Believer" in democracy and mob rule (in the Eric Hoffer sense). I readily concede that I know nothing about Egypt or what is going on there, but don't you think it's a little too early to congratulate and feel happy for the people? You even admit that no one knows what the country will be like in the next few years, but you want to c…

Guilty as charged. I am a "True Believer" in Democracy. Also, I believe truly that power and the right to govern is bestowed by the people. Clearly the people carried the day in Egypt. Nobody knows what tomorrow will bring but it will not be under the foot of a dictator at least we know that - and how could that be bad? Am I scared that things will not go so well, sure. But I'm an optimist and I got to work for and I…

> Nobody knows what tomorrow will bring but it will not be under the foot of a dictator at least we know that - and how could that be bad

In 1917 the Russian people got themselves out from under the foot of the Romanovs and into the hands of the Bolsheviks.

Re: Hosni Mubarak finally steps down

#133

Post by ceejayoz » Sat, Feb 12, 2011, 1:04 AM UTC

beambot wrote: post #125

ceejayoz wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That $50 billion number seems to have been fished out of thin air. IIRC, the US government estimates his fortune at closer to $2 billion. Large, yes, but not at the same level.

Seriously? To me, the difference between $2B and $50B seems like diminishing returns ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diminishing_returns ). If you disagree, then I'd like to be you for a few days... ;-)

For a person, yes - there's little you can't do with $2B that you can do with $50B. For a country, though, it's the difference between a single shuttle launch and three years of NASA's budget.

Re: Hosni Mubarak finally steps down

#134

Post by philwelch » Sat, Feb 12, 2011, 10:49 AM UTC

philsalesses wrote: post #68

This is a side question and I'd like to get any/all opinions since I have yet to find a suitable answer to this. How do I, as an American citizen, minimize cognitive dissonance when the following disparate events occur? America's stance: democracy and 'freedom' are fundamental rights of all people. -and- America's actions: refusing to recognize a democratically elected body because the resulting will of the people is…

Is it really that difficult to imagine that the US would turn a cold shoulder to organizations that recruit suicide bombers to blow up buses and pizzerias? Even if they win an election?

Re: Hosni Mubarak finally steps down

#135

Post by tomjen3 » Sat, Feb 12, 2011, 1:47 PM UTC

zeteo wrote: post #51

michaelty wrote: post #2

Next time, don't take down your country's Internet.

About the only comment thread on this story that has a claim of belonging on HN.

Agreed. Sometimes people forget that this is "news for hackers" and not just news, however wide they are spread.