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28 Jan 2011 20:44

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Tech: Openleaks is here: Here’s a video explaining what Openleaks does

  • So, to clarify: “Bottlenecks” does not appear to specifically be a euphemism for “Julian Assange.” There appears to have been some sincere thought on how to cleanly decentralize the system. We wish Openleaks the best of luck in their mission. source
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28 Jan 2011 20:09

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Politics: The Guardian: Assessing the diplomatic damage in Egypt

  • The revolution threatens not only Hosni Mubarak’s regime but the strategy the US and Britain have constructed in the Middle East. The hesitancy with which President Mubarak reacted last night was matched only by the perceptible shift in the emphasis of the statements by the U.S. secretary of state, Hillary Clinton.
  • An editorial by The Guardian regarding Egypt • In an editorial about Egypt which we thinks relates well to a question we just answered on Tumblr not that long ago. The Guardian makes their point pretty well, we’d say: “Faced with the conflicting needs to keep an Arab partner of Israel afloat and to respond to demands for democratic reform, the U.S. would choose the first every time.” The Guardian makes three points: First, a regime change would possibly damage long-term diplomatic goals; second, if Mubarak has any chance of leaving office peacefully, he’s going to have to free Mohamed ElBaradei and other prisoners, and open up the Interwebs; and finally, this juggernaut may be too difficult to stop at this point. source
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28 Jan 2011 18:58

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U.S., World: Posted without comment: Obama’s latest statements on Egypt

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28 Jan 2011 18:49

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World: Al-Jazeera breaking ground with Creative Commons-licensed news

  • News organizations take note: Not only is al-Jazeera getting much attention for their coverage of the Egypt crisis, but they’re breaking a lot of ground, too. They’ve released tons of content with a Creative Commons license – video, Flickr photos and more. They’ve had a long relationship with the CC people, and this proves exactly why it’s so fruitful. Just think if the AP actually did this instead of threatening to sue everyone under the sun. source
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28 Jan 2011 15:56

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World: This Egyptian protester’s middle finger really says it all

Inside this man’s middle finger are the flames of a revolution. Inside this man’s middle finger are the dreams of thousands of Egyptians. Inside this man’s middle finger is all that needs to be said. source
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28 Jan 2011 15:32

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World: Robert Gibbs on the U.S./Egyptian military aid situation

  • We will be reviewing our assistance posture based on events that take place in the coming days.
  • Obama’s press secretary, Robert Gibbs • Offering some more context as to what the U.S. plans to do with the military aid that’s going to the country. Those U.S.-supplied guns don’t seem like quite a good idea now that they’re aimed at protesters, do they? Some more guarded words from Gibbs: “There is a verty important opportunity for the Egyptian government to address grievances that have been in place for a number of years.” Obama’s folks are certainly doing a lot of pussyfooting today, aren’t they? source
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28 Jan 2011 15:10

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World: Ugandan gay activist David Kato’s funeral marred by anti-gay pastor

  • Here’s what this Anglican pastor Thomas Musoke had to say: “The world has gone crazy. People are turning away from the scriptures. They should turn back, they should abandon what they are doing. You cannot start admiring a fellow man.” Hey, Mr. Musoke, this is a GAY MAN WHO WAS KILLED BECAUSE OF ANTI-GAY BIGOTRY. AND YOU HAVE THIS TO SAY AT HIS FUNERAL?!?!? This world is a disgrace sometimes, and we’re not sure we even want to be on the same planet as people such as these. David Kato was the gay activist beaten to death Wednesday, which we noted in an article that shocked many on Tumblr. source
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28 Jan 2011 14:40

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World: U.S. thinking of cutting back or killing its Egyptian financial aid

  • An Obama administration official says the U.S. will review its $1.5 billion in aid to Egypt based on events unfolding in the country, where the authoritarian government is struggling to extinguish huge and growing street protests.
  • An AP story • Reporting on Obama’s plans to possibly keep, cut back on or kill Egyptian aid. It’s not so far as cutting it off entirely, but still … this could prove to be a turning point in U.S.-Egyptian relations. source
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28 Jan 2011 14:20

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World: This week’s Egyptian protests, by the numbers (thanks Newsflick)

  • Our Tumblr friend Newsflick has been doing some great coverage of the Egyptian protests. And in general. He seriously runs a great site that offers a great view of international events. It’s one of our favorite Tumblr blogs, and a truly unsung hero as far as news coverage goes. We got these numbers directly from him – we take no credit, other than that we’re laying them out a little bit more to fit our style. Anyway, here goes:
  • 1,000+ protesters have been arrested source
  • 870+ have been wounded in Cairo alone, according to various reports source
  • 10+ have died in the wake of the Egyptian protests this week source
  • 17% decline in Egypt’s EGX30 stock index in just two days source
  • » A few more stats (from us): The country sports 17 percent food inflation, which was one of the factors noted in the recent Tunisia uprising. While the country’s GDP growth is respectable, it’s also a severe sign of the country’s inequality. Nearly 40 percent of people – out of a population of 80 million – are poor, and the country’s unemployment is 25 percent. And youth unemployment is incredibly high around the world, especially in Egypt. But even in developed countries, it’s shocking: 40 percent unemployment in Spain. 20 percent unemployment in France. How does this happen? How does our youth culture become so unemployable in these countries? This is a big problem which shows a lack of long-term thinking. (Note: Some numbers just updated)
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28 Jan 2011 13:46

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World: Egyptian opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei: Let our voice be heard

  • Here’s an AP clip which notes with a statement from opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei, currently under house arrest speaking out about the crisis. He’s asking other countries not to get involved at the moment, beyond demanding their freedom of expression. source
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