People Power in Benghazi

Thousands of ordinary citizens marched on Islamic extremists

Unarmed People power drums Libya's jihadists out of Benghazi

As fires blazed and protesters danced in the ruined compound of a vanquished jihadist militia, I watched as the citizens of the Libyan city of Benghazi staged a dramatic display of raw people power.Numbed by the murder of an American ambassador in their city, furious with jihadist militias lording it over them and frustrated by a government too chaotic and intimidated to react, ordinary Benghazians took matters into their own hands.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if every country expressed this kind of power and unity?

What would it look like if folks got together in every nation and said, "no - we're not going to stand for it!"

For the people of Benghazi, the killing of Stevens was the final outrage in a campaign of extremist violence that had seen other consulates firebombed, the convoy of Britain's ambassador rocketed, commonwealth war graves vandalised and 14 officials assassinated. As foreign missions fled and businessmen cleared out, Benghazi found itself cast as Libya's Dodge City. And in the absence of a sheriff to impose order, its people staged their own spontaneous cleansing.

The rally on Friday was peaceful: crowds of men, women and children marched on central Benghazi, with balloons, flags and placards, many calling for justice for the killers of Stevens. "We are Islam, we are not extremists!" they chanted.

I say more power to them. Now they realize they don't have to put up with a dictatorship of extremism.

Can the U.S. learn something from this?

Propaganda
second line..

reply to post by antoinemarionette


People power is good

Originally posted by all2human
Propaganda
second line..

Islamic extremists storm embassies and kill people is big News. Average Muslims who are outraged about things being done in their religions name and do something positive about it is simply...

"Propaganda"

Okay....

Moving along.

reply to post by all2human

Propaganda

EVERYTHING that we see or read in the news is propaganda for something or the other.

reply to post by all2human


Your comment is rather sad.

And I one-liner to boot.

What I posted is real, a fact, and is being reported on extensively in Europe.

Originally posted by SLAYER69

Originally posted by all2human
Propaganda
second line..

Islamic extremists storm embassies and kill people is big News. Average Muslims who are outraged about things being done in their religions name and do something positive about it is simply...

A trend setter! Hopefully. Maybe the world can come back from the brink of insanity.

Can the U.S. learn something from this?

Don't you mean other middle eastern and northern african, and other countries?

Americans have never killed a foreign ambassder or stormed a embassy on US soil.

reply to post by antoinemarionette


My god your right. Americans, Its time to march to the white house and show them we have had enough... We will not take any more of their crap.

Originally posted by DarknStormy
reply to post by antoinemarionette

 

My god your right. Americans, Its time to march to the white house and show them we have had enough... We will not take any more of their crap.

Why do I sense sarcasm? If that's not your intention, I apologize. But, yeah, if people power can rid a nation of terrorists, why can't we march to the White House and demand the return of all our soldiers, and for our government to stop manipulating other governments? I really like the idea.

Originally posted by sk0rpi0n
reply to post by all2human

 

Propaganda

EVERYTHING that we see or read in the news is propaganda for something or the other.

Oh? And this is propaganda for....???

You can call my post week all you want,but the fact remains i am correct..moving along

reply to post by antoinemarionette


I was replying to the user who claimed that this was just propaganda.

People tend to be selective on as to what is propaganda and what isn't.

A new story about a Libyan mob running an militia out of town, is a little hard to digest for most people, who are used to seeing muslims riot and get violent. So its just dismissed as propaganda.

Now, if the same mob of muslims rioted over something, it would be instant "news"... because thats the projected image of muslims in the MSM and its something that people are used to seeing.

reply to post by jiggerj


I agree, but we would most likely be labelled extremist or something

reply to post by sk0rpi0n


I believe all2human is incorrect.

This is not propaganda at all.

The definition of propaganda is:

propaganda |ˌpräpəˈgandə|
noun
1 chiefly derogatory information, esp. of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view : he was charged with distributing enemy propaganda.

• the dissemination of such information as a political strategy : the party's leaders believed that a long period of education and propaganda would be necessary .

2 ( Propaganda) a committee of cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church responsible for foreign missions, founded in 1622 by Pope Gregory XV.



So if we assume that the all2human is referring to this article from the British newspaper The Guardian as "biased or misleading in nature", I would have to assume that someone in the British power structure must be profiting from such information. Who do you think would profit from such information in the British government? No one I would think.

Otherwise, calling it propaganda makes no sense. None whatsoever.

reply to post by antoinemarionette


I think that if this was prevalent, it'd illustrate the "religion of peace" much more effectively than killing people and burning things.

reply to post by beezzer


I would certainly have to agree with you there.

I think that "everyday people" in the Arabic-speaking countries are beginning to realize that religious extremism is doing them no good in the eyes of the rest of the world, and this is the first sign that they are willing to dismantle that paradigm.

I think it's brilliant!

Originally posted by neo96

Can the U.S. learn something from this?

Don't you mean other middle eastern and northern african, and other countries?

Americans have never killed a foreign ambassder or stormed a embassy on US soil.

edit on 22-9-2012 by neo96 because: (no reason given)

And of course I never said they did.

I think this is about saying no to the status quo, if it is destructive and harmful to others.

Do you think Americans have any agendas that are destructive or harmful to others?

First off I will agree this is propoganda. It is written to tap emotions. Are we supposed to think they did this for us?
Heck no!! Good for them for taking action against the Ansar al-Sharia. A good step in boldly declaring the intent of the people Libya. A excellent first step in a Muslim country. So far Libya has proven the exception to typical Muslim reaction, let alone a conservative Muslim one. In this case our military aid has generated some good will. I doubt that Egypt will be ever reacting like this. I must ask if anyone knows which branch[s] of Islam is/are followed in Libya? Be interesting to see if the Ansar al-Sharia and the Libyan's theological difference played a part.

Originally posted by hangedman13
First off I will agree this is propoganda. It is written to tap emotions. Are we supposed to think they did this for us?

Did they do this for us?

If by us you mean the human race...

then I would respond with a resounding

YES!!!