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A comment on Self-organizing systems in Egyptian protests. Parent comment

Re:Self-organizing systems in Egyptian protests by mahmud on Friday February 04, 2011 @12:25PM (#2180215)
Half the protesters are women and don't "hold their manhoods" :-) and the other half are mostly college stoners, fruit vendors and intellectual-type nerds. More Woodstock than Braveheart, imo.
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Re:Self-organizing systems in Egyptian protests by mycroftiv on Friday February 04, 2011 @12:37PM (#2180264)
I agree! How about: '...but no explanation, no mix of words or music or memories can touch that sense of knowing that you were there and alive in that corner of time and the world. Whatever it meant...History is hard to know, because of all the hired bullshit, but even without being sure of "history" it seems entirely reasonable to think that every now and then the energy of a whole generation comes to a head in a long fine flash, for reasons that nobody really understands at the time-and which never explain, in retrospect, what actually happened.' ~HST

Really though I feel bad hanging any "western" literary quote on top of the amazing events in Egypt. I'm sure something from Egyptian culture would make a more appropriate quote than either Shakespeare or Hunter Thompson. Trying to follow the unfolding events has brought tears to my eyes of both joy and sadness more than once, and I am in awe of the courage and spirit and dynamic human energy of the revolution in progress.

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Re:Self-organizing systems in Egyptian protests by mahmud on Friday February 04, 2011 @12:43PM (#2180300)
Nothing wrong with citing "Western" literature, they're doing that themselves :-)

http://totallycoolpix.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/30012011_e...

True story, I grew up reading the Grimm tales in Arabic and was SHOCKED as a grown man when I discovered they were not original Arabic works :-)

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Re:Self-organizing systems in Egyptian protests by sp332 on Friday February 04, 2011 @12:51PM (#2180345)
That's nothing, you should read them in the original Klingon!
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Re:Self-organizing systems in Egyptian protests by cwp on Friday February 04, 2011 @12:57PM (#2180380)
Braveheart‽ I am dying, Egypt, dying.
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Re:Self-organizing systems in Egyptian protests by InclinedPlane on Friday February 04, 2011 @01:06PM (#2180411)
Brave. Heart.

Indeed. Indeed.

If you are a troll you are the best.

http://www.shakespeare-literature.com/Henry_V/20.html

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Re:Self-organizing systems in Egyptian protests by mahmud on Friday February 04, 2011 @01:17PM (#2180461)
Sheesh, that much I know. I used the "Braveheart" label for aesthetic reasons; I choose the film because it's at once virile, chivalrous and patriotic, while also being synthetic, a cheesy Mel Gibson experience that reminds more of his drunken antics today than anything else (though the "Primae Noctis" scene stuck with me.)

Ditto with Woodstock, it's the largest gathering of insignificant nobodies in recent history (when judged by the values of their society and era.) But it turned into an epoch of its own, and everyone there became significant to history just by virtue of their presence. Just like Tahreer square today.

Hacker News, you're not keeping up.

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