The neocons at National Review Online have been bashing Obama for siding with Mubarak against the protesters, and now Israel is bashing Obama for siding with the protesters against Mubarak. (NRO also has been bashing Obama for not taking sides at all; but one good bash is as good as another.)
However, the consensus on the Right seems to be forming around the Pam Geller view that the Muslim Brotherhood is behind the protests and will end up in control of Egypt. Fox News originally muted its coverage of the uprising, but more recently it has swung into full Islamophobe mode.
This has left NRO out on a limb, since the neocons there originally viewed the uprising as the natural and glorious consequence of George W. Bush’s resolute leadership and Condi Rice’s calls for freedom. So now Rich Lowry is calling the uprising “ambiguous.” It may not turn out well, Lowry admits. But you can tell his heart is still with the uprising. Toward the end, he even calls the uprising an “Arab spring.”
But for once, Lowry may be in the ball park of actuality, or at least in the parking lot. It’s a very ambiguous situation. It’s anyone’s guess how this will shake out.
Update to one of yesterday’s posts: Newt Gingrich and Tim Pawlenty have now spoken out on Egypt, and have firmly taken sides against the Obama Administration. They faulted the Obama Administration for not clearly standing either with Mubarak or the uprising.
However, it’s not clear where Newt stands, except that he doesn’t like the Muslim Brotherhood. Bold stand, that. Pawlenty was a little more firm, saying that Mubarak should step down.
And Mitt has spoken out against Mubarak, which probably won’t help him with the teabagger base. (h/t Airedale Lady)
Something tells me that OUR Fundamentalist’s would have no problem if it was the ‘”Christian” Brotherhood” that would take over there.
I’m also wondering if our American Taliban isn’t looking at what’s happening and having a wet-dream of Americans rioting to overthrow that Kenyan Muslim Usurper in the White House, and bringing in someone like Mike “The Huckster,” that nice little white Christian boy to take over. And then we could womp on them Aaaaarab’s and their creeping Sharia Law that’s going to take over any minute here.
Don’t forget to check under your beds this evening. There may be a Muslim bogeyman hiding under there. And he’s mad as Hell because he lost his book north of the border in Arizona, and no one will give it back to him.
With a simple click of the mouse, Fox air-heads would learn that the Muslim Brotherhood is a non-violent organization advocating the return of Muslims to the original message of the Koran. But, alas and as usual, being informed on the subject they are either touting or bashing would be an unnecessary impediment to their thinking.
Bart Simpson’s example of a “paradox”: Damned if you do, and damned if you don’t.
Felicity,
If they were interested in information and learning they wouldn’t be watching FOX, and they wouldn’t be Conservatives.
Besides, everyone knows that ALL Muslims are violently anti-American Fundamentalist’s who want their Caliphate right here in our Heartland. I suspect they want it in the South. I have a state in mind, and they wouldn’t even need to change the signs much. Just add a space: Al Abama.
Colonel Mustard in the library with the candle stick.
Have pity on them, they’re still waiting for AIPAC to tell them what to think.
Obama is doing the right thing, he’s keeping his nose out of other peoples arguments. I am definitely for the people of Egypt.
Why do I get the feeling that if McCain had won the election anyone trying to present themselves as presidential material would be roundly condemned as undermining the President and threatening national security. It’s a different world when there’s a Republican president.
From my simple, pastoral life, I am about qualified to comment on this as my horse (though she probably has some Arabian in her).
These events “mix fear and desire”. This thing might not end well and our intelligence and understanding of the Middle East is likely not very good. But, two things seem obvious. The situation will not return to what it was before this happened (aka, you can’t put the toothpaste back into the tube.) and regardless of what happens, we have to be seen to have supported the winning side. Supporting a failed coup or a toppled strongman would make life very difficult in the aftermath. So, a seat on the sidelines gathering intelligence makes perfect sense. Also, the President has to have access to greater intelligence and more up to date information than the circle of clowns who are shooting off their mouths on Fox News, etc. and they won’t have to deal with the consequences. They just want an opportunity to point their fingers and make political capital. It’s just self-promotion for them, not real world diplomacy.
I hope for the best for the Egyptian people, it’s not going to be a bed of roses either way, but, sometimes you have to throw off the yoke and take your chances.
I am just thankful that the pyramids are not visible from the Aleutian islands.
The wingnuts are desperately seeking a way to have the U.S. maintain control over events in Egypt, but they are out of U.S. control. If McCain were president, the wingnuts would give him a pass and everyone would fall into lockstep behind McCain.
Be careful what you ask for. Like Palestine and Lebanon, the people of Egypt might vote in a pretty anti-American/Israel party or person (Hamas or Hezbollahesque). Why can’t the righties figure out that Obama is walking a tightrope here. He can’t alienate whatever group ends up in control of Egypt. He still has to have good relations with them. The constant harping, criticizing and second guessing is not good for America. I thought the same when Keith Olbermann would have his “Special Commentary” on Bush, and I am not nor was not in anyway way a Bush supporter. As in, Worst President Ever. But I believe we have to allow the president’s to do their job.
“Something tells me that OUR Fundamentalist’s would have no problem if it was the ‘â€Christian†Brotherhood†that would take over there”
Isn’t that what we had here with the Bu$hco/Ashcroft crowd?
FAUX is really fucking this story up, I looked at 30 seconds of Glenn BecKKK today (that was all I could take before nausea set in) and he had a map of the “Islamic Caliphate” basically covering the entire middle east and most of Europe, from what I could ascertain any country that has more that ten “towel heads” living in it is going to flip for the “Muslim brotherhood’. The dimwitted knuckle draggers really love the term “Muslim brotherhood”. It hits all the scary points, i.e Muslim=terrorist, brotherhood=gang of niggers, a virtual double play of hate and fear!
Felicity said:
With a simple click of the mouse, Fox air-heads would learn that the Muslim Brotherhood is a non-violent organization advocating the return of Muslims to the original message of the Koran.
I hate to say it Felicity, but I think you’re being naive. True, the Muslim Brotherhood is not Al Qaeda. Non-violence is their official stated position, but fundamentalism boils just below the surface and the Brotherhood has been a recruiting ground for terrorists in the pasts. It was four “brothers” who murdered Anwar Sadat in 1981 because they were unhappy with his peace agreement with Israel. The Brotherhood has consistently called for Sharia Law or all Muslims, and the annihilation Israel (a notable exception to their peace platform).
None of which is to say that I want Mubarak to stay in power. He should have stepped down long ago, and his failure to arrange a timely orderly succession means that just about anything could happen now. We would all like to see Egypt become more like Turkey, but it could wind up like Iran.
Regarding Newt and Pawlenty – they think the world will stop spinning if an American President isn’t turning the crank. This is a foreign government – not a province of America. (Neocons think ALL the world is a province of America.)
This is far from settled, but it looks like the Egyptian people are earning their freedom without the interference of the USA. IF and when we are asked for help, it should be forthcoming at once. Hunger caused this revolution and we need to airlift food in if that’s what it takes – and I DO believe that will make a difference in the attitude the new government has with the US.
We have tried variations of gunboat diplomacy for decades – let’s see what some bread can do.
What country would help us, if we totaly agreed with them, that we set up a dictator, in every effort that they tried to form a better government, because we made them do it in the first place, by offering money and food? The reason I ask this question is because we are going to need help too. What concessions did we make them agree to for food for their people, when no concessions should have been demanded? Help should have been forth coming withouty regard to pay back from these poor nations. We were doing well, when we did these things, but not so well now. Not for the people in America, at least its still called America. Greed,greed, greed, the republican mantra.
“We have tried variations of gunboat diplomacy for decades – let’s see what some bread can do”
I agree but it’s a little late, we have been giving the country 1.5 billion for years, only a scant 250 to 500 million goes to the people for any real aid. The rest gets funneled back to USA through various right wing neoconsuperfratboy war factories for warplanes, tanks, guns, you know stuff every strongman thug needs to stay in power. Sending them bread and butter now? I say it’s best we let them have their uprising throw the bastards out and whoever they elect is who we’ll have to deal with. Lets face it all Mubarak really ever did was takes bribes from us all the while running a protection racket for Israel. The real Irony is that if Egypt becomes an enemy of Israel once again, it will be with the warplanes, tanks and guns that we supplied. Excellent planning USA!
Why in the hell would anyone care what a non-entity like Pam Geller thinks?