The heads of state of the industrialized democracies — once known as the “free world” — seem to have converged on the consensus that the Egyptian revolution must be carefully managed, but not halted, and that Hosni Mubarak must be eased out of power gradually so as not to leave a sudden power vacuum in Egypt. They seem to want a transition to democracy as well as political stability. Good luck with that.
Whether this is really the best course, and whether the industrialized democracies have any real say in what’s going on in Egypt, are other matters. It appears the bulk of the teabagger-social conservative Right has fallen in line behind the belief that Islamic terrorists are behind the revolution, and any outcome that allows the Muslim Brotherhood a voice in the government cannot be tolerated.
Writing for the Guardian, Sadhbh Walsh points out some, um, reactions on the Right —
Laura Ingraham was nonplussed by what she felt was a wimpish response from President Obama to the uprising, and was wistful for bygone days when America knew her place in the world (listen to clip here). …
… To demonstrate how things could be if we only had the right kind of president, she played a clip from a speech given by former President Ronald Reagan offering his unequivocal support to the Polish solidarity movement during their struggle for independence from Russia. …
… But lest you think, as I briefly did, that Ingraham was going out on a limb as the lone conservative voice urging more American support for the courageous protesters on the streets of Egypt, who are risking their lives in the hope of a better one, know that it was only the style of Reagan’s message that she wished Obama would emulate (that is, “America is in charge”) and not the substance (“America supports your cries for freedom”).
Of course, Mubarak does have support on the Right, just not the teabag Right. Dick the Dick crawled out from under his rock to tell the world that Mubarak is a good friend and ally to the U.S. On the other hand, Moosewoman blames President Obama because she doesn’t know what the bleep is going on in Egypt. Bizarre.
Joe Klein often is wrong, but I hope he’s right about this —
Today, (hat tip/Ben Smith), we have Bill Kristol sticking with the demonstrators and calling out free-range lunatic Glenn Beck, for his hilarious commie-muslim caliphate delusions. This is not unimportant. Kristol lies very close to the throbbing heart of the Fox News sensibility. And I’ve heard, from more than a couple of conservative sources, that prominent Republicans have approached Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes about the potential embarrassment that the paranoid-messianic rodeo clown may bring upon their brand. The speculation is that Beck is on thin ice. His ratings are dropping, too–which, in the end, is a good part of what this is all about. But I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw a mirror-Olbermann situation soon.
I would be surprised if Rupert cuts Beck loose. Beck is an embarrassment to our species, but he’s very good at keeping the teabaggers whipped into a frenzy to support whatever it is the Koch Brothers want supported.
I’ve watched a lot of coverage of events in the Middle East, from a variety of sources (Charlie Rose, BBC, Democracy Now!, unfortunately no Al Jazerra). My understanding is that the Muslim Brotherhood counts for about 10-15% of the population in Egypt, and while it’s therefore unlikely that Egypt would be transformed into a fundamentalist theocracy, it’s also true that as a faction, they are the most organized – which may not mean much, given the utter lack of organization elsewhere. Mubarak systematically defanged any opposition, and so the Brotherhood and hundreds of thousands of leaderless protestors are the result. El Baradei, the nobel prize winner is regarded as everyone’s Plan B – no plan A leader or leaders have emerged.
And so I’m inclined to agree with those – even with Mubarak and his allies – who caution patience. Because the political scene is so underdeveloped, his immediate departure would create a vacuum. The protestors should therefore be careful of what they wish for. Their disgust with the status quo is apparently so great, they’re willing to risk an uncertain future.
OTOH, Juan Cole pretty well describes the way Egyptian elites have enriched themselves from America’s largesse, and have manipulated America. Delay will only allow them to reorganize and coopt the nascent revolution.
I think the reaction from establishment politicians like Obama and Hillary Clinton is understandable, given not only the geopolitical significance of Egypt, but the fact that this is much bigger than Egypt, it’s shaking autocratic rulers throughout the region. And to think it all began with one guy setting himself on fire in Tunisia – sort of like the unremembered individual who assasinated ArchDuke Ferdinand, and set off World War 1, and the slaughter of millions.
The reaction of the Know-Nothings here is predictable – but I’ve heard brave Egyptians counter it by saying that if the Muslim Brotherhood gets x% of the seats in parliament, if the constitutional checks and balances are sound, who cares? They can handle it. Other parliaments (notably not America’s) have their communist or radical minority factions, and while it’s not as mindlessly cohesive as America’s corporate duopoly, it’s representational democracy. I love how the rightards are terrified of real democracy, which includes everyone, from all viewpoints, as often as they shout the word at the top of their lungs from every rooftop.
OTOH, if things go really wrong in Egypt or elsewhere in the Middle East, the Know-Nothings will be all over Obama for having “lost Egypt” or some other country.
Gavrilo Princip, 19-year-old anarchist, was the assassin that started WWI. But he was not the brains of the operation, only carrying out orders. The anarchists would have gotten someone, sometime, with the same effect, if Ferdinand and his wife hadn’t been killed.
I hope Klein is right too. Beck is an idiot, but even worse, he’s an idiot with a dangerous message and lots of stupid (and armed ) followers.I hope the heads at FOX come to reality and ditch the clown before something VERY bad happens, and they’re left standing with blood on their hands and shit in their diapers.
Once again, Eric Margolis:
http://www.ericmargolis.com/political_commentaries/for-egypt-bread-is-as-important-as-freedom.aspx
I found another source that lists Mubarak’s wealth is between 40 and 70 Billion.
I feel for all the people of the Levant who have put up with this crap for so many years, be they ordinary Israelis, Egyptians, etc. They got so boned over with the crazy M.E. policy. Sad………..
Thanks for the link, Moonbat.
This is a bit OT, but interesting.
http://www.kipling.org.uk/rg_egypt_intro.htm
Yep. The know-nothing wingnuts desperately want to put Obama in the same role Carter occupied when the ayatollahs took over the Iranian revolution against the Shah.
One other thing-Princip and his fellow band of assassins carried out the shooting of Franz Ferdinand at the behest of Col. Dragutin Dimitrijević, leader of the Serbian nationalist group Narodna Odbrana. Dimitrijević himself wound up being tried on a charge of attempted murder and was shot.
Why is clowns plural? Is there more than one paranoid-messianic rodeo clown?
I think Kristol would lose his gig before Beck does.
If FOX would try to seriously tone down, or can Beck, it would look to their knuckledragging audience as if they capitulated to the left, and would lose a large share. The righties demand some constant spitting into the eyes of everyone who doesn’t agree with them.
Beck and the Teabaggers are intertwined, and I don’t think anyone really knows what to do with them. They unify the base, they provide energy, but at the end of the conversation, they’re also loose cannons who can do great good or great harm to the powers that be. So while they can’t afford to lose them, they can’t afford to have them go all apecrap on everyone. They relly don’t know how to ride these tigers yet.
Right now, this struggle is one of the few things I’m enjoying about today’s politics. But that could also end quickly if it turns out badly, as I suspect it will. I’m still afraid Tucson was just a beginning.
I’d be willing to forgive Joe Klein one or two of his many sins just for writing the phrase “free-range lunatic Glenn Beck.” Nice and succinct.
This from a recent article by Amy Goodman:
“Mubarack’s regime has received roughly $2 billion per year (in US aid) since coming to power, overwhelmingly for the military. Where has the money gone? Mostly to US corporations.”
She then quotes Wm. Hartung, who explains: “It’s a form of corporate welfare for companies like Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics, because it goes to Egypt, then it comes back for F-16 aircraft, for M-1 tanks, for aircraft engines, for all kinds of missiles, for guns, for tear-gas canisters . . .”
He further adds: Lockheed Martin received $3.8 billion over last 10 years; Gen’l Dynamics = $2.5 billion; Boeing = $1.7 billion. “… a lot of the money is basically recycled,” said Hartung. “Taxpayers could just as easily be giving it directly to Lockheed Martin or General Dynamics.”
Meanwhile the Beck buffoon throws pixie dust in viewers’ eyes. Arrrgh!