Mubarak has stepped down!

[mephisto]

Possibly best day of my life!

Discuss

[thalbergmad]

I am happy for you

Hoping for peace in Egypt, but a little bit concerned that it might be some time before the people get the stability they deserve. It is nice to get rid of a tyrant, but sometimes they are replaced with another.

A few other Presidents in nearby Countries might not be sleeping so well tonight.

Thal

[thalbergmad]

Incidentally, it has also been a great day for a lot of English people, as our feeble Parliament has voted against the ruling by unelected Eurotossers to give prisoners the vote.

A step in the right direction at last.

Thal

[retrouvailles]

Possibly best day of my life!

Discuss

But you're Norwegian!

[mephisto]

But you're Norwegian!

I'm a citizen of the world

[oxy60]

After the dancing in the streets comes the real work. Let's not forget history nor present events. Notice how long it has taken Iraq to just form a government.

The real question is whether an Arab nation can be truly democratic.

[mephisto]

After the dancing in the streets comes the real work. Let's not forget history nor present events. Notice how long it has taken Iraq to just form a government.

The real question is whether an Arab nation can be truly democratic.

To his enormous credit, the French historian Daniel Lindenberg told the truth this week. "We must, alas, admit the reality: many intellectuals believe, deep down, that the Arab people are congenitally backward."

https://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-hypocrisy-is-exposed-by-the-wind-of-change-2209881.html

[ahinton]

After the dancing in the streets comes the real work. Let's not forget history nor present events. Notice how long it has taken Iraq to just form a government.

The real question is whether an Arab nation can be truly democratic.

The even more "real" question is "what is an "Arab" nation?" and "what has this factor to do with the current situation in Egypt and the possible one in a possibly large number of neighbouring countries of which the "Arab" content and input may vary considerably?".

Many so-called "Middle Eastern" nations from the north-west of Africa to Waziristan may come to find themsevles embroiled in fundamental change as a consequence of what's been going on recently in Tunisia, Egypt and Yemen and, to a lesser extent (so far), Algeria, Jordan and Lebanon. There's more than two dozen countries from Morocco in the west to Waziristan in the east that may, as a consequnce begin to look at the possibility of applying to join the EU following whatever kind of "revolution" they might see fit to have in order to make such potential application appear more credible. Watch the possible expansion of Greater Europe (and may I appeal to our distinguished resident Arabic Norwegian to consider the  possible fate of his adopted country's current stance on application for EU membership?). What price Ahmadinejad's exhorting of the removal of Israel from some kind of map of his own imagining? What if Iran, Israel, Iraq and the remainder of the so-called "middle East" (an absurd term if it's to include the nations of north Africa!) come to plead to join EU along with Afghanistan and Waziristan?

Don't take any of this lightly! We could well be witnessing an enormous sea-(and land-)change in the who-owns-what of politics and political allegiances, particularly if the growing fear of Chinese superiority continues...

Best,

Alistair

[mephisto]

(and may I appeal to our distinguished resident Arabic Norwegian to consider the  possible fate of his adopted country's current stance on application for EU membership?).

Best,

Alistair

As far as I know an overwhelming number of Norwegians are against membership in the EU. At the same time a majority of the members of parliament (stortinget) support membership.

Although it is not up for the people to decide (§§ 93 and 112 of the constitution makes it possible for Norway to join the EU if enough members of parliament supports it) it is extremely unlikely that Norway will join without the support of a large majority of the people based on a national referendum. In other word: It is very unlikely that Norway will become a member of EU in the near future.

[ahinton]

As far as I know an overwhelming number of Norwegians are against membership in the EU. At the same time a majority of the members of parliament (stortinget) support membership.

Although it is not up for the people to decide (§§ 93 and 112 of the constitution makes it possible for Norway to join the EU if enough members of parliament supports it) it is extremely unlikely that Norway will join without the support of a large majority of the people based on a national referendum. In other word: It is very unlikely that Norway will become a member of EU in the near future.

I accept that it seems that way at present and has indeed done so for quite some time now, but quite how Norway or indeed Switzerland will continue to escape such membership for much longer seems increasingly to be a matter of doubt. The sheer size of the "superpowers" is such that Europe might already be considering itself puny and tiny in the face of them unless all from Iceland and Morocco in the west to Afghanistan / Waziristan and the easternmost ex-Soviet republics in the east join forces as part of a much enlarged EU (which would, if nothing else, wipe the smile off the face of anyone in Iran who might otherwise have been contemplating the notion of wiping Israel off any map at all were both nations to end up as part of that enlarged EU)...

Best,

Alistair

[mephisto]

I accept that it seems that way at present and has indeed done so for quite some time now, but quite how Norway or indeed Switzerland will continue to escape such membership for much longer seems increasingly to be a matter of doubt.

To be honest I don't think it will happen.

1. Norway's economy is better than most EU countries by a quite large margin. The financial crisis didn't effect us that much.
2. A large majority of the people are against it. We love our sovereignty
3. We are already a member of EEA.

[oxy60]

I am happy to hear that the country of my mother's family is doing so well.

However the Egyptians wanted a democratic system, not EU membership. So, my dear posters what kind of system features do you envision as democratic; elected heads of state, jury trials, binding popular referendums, elected legislators, term limits on all elected officials, separation of church and state, etc? What would be on your short list?