No offense, but I'm getting weary of Egypt. I understand the people want to be free and that Mubarak just can't seem to give it up (and maybe for good reason.) And yeah, the USA is "walking a fine line" as the journalists say, not wanting to support a dictator, but rather apprehensive about the alternatives.
Ever hear of the Gordian Knot? Apparently in ancient times, the king of Phrygia, called "Gordo," (possibly a native Canadian?) tied a knot around the gates of his kingdom or capitol city or whatever, saying that whoever untied the knot would be the next king. So Alexander the Great came along and sliced through the knot with his sword. Thinking out of the box....
Seems like whatever happens in Egypt, the USA will be raked over the coals for it. First, because we propped up Mubarak for 30 years, ever since the Muslim Brotherhood killed Anwar Sadat. And Mubarak agreed not to attack Israel anymore, which was nice and has if not "kept the peace" in the Middle East, at least limited the violence there to the level of sporadic outbreaks and individual acts of terrorism.
So the Comrade and Hillary Clinton and the rest of the thousand clowns running things in DC came out with very cautious statements about the mobs collecting in Cairo, and apparently suggested directly to Mubarak that he consider stepping down. Mubarak has even agreed to step down -- next September, when elections are scheduled. He says in the meanwhile, he'll work on legislative reforms. So, all you crazy people in the square, you can all just go home now.
I must say, I'm not convinced that Mubarak really gets it. Those people aren't leaving, and in a sense I don't blame them.
On the other hand, due to the powers-that-still-be in Egypt, apparently no one is quite qualified to take over after Murbarak -- or no one the Egyptians would likely approve. Mubarak has appointed a guy named Suleiman to head the state, but Suleiman had headed up Egypt's intelligence agency. If I were an Egyptian, I'm quite sure I wouldn't be applauding over that selection.
It seems the Mubarak regime has worked very hard at a kind of political homogeneity, or roughly translated, "My way or the highway." So there's no organized political party to oppose the monolithic rule that the Egyptian people are trying to remove from power.
Except, apparently, the Muslim Brotherhood. This is a decades-old organization that not only killed Anwar Sadat, but spawned many of the terrorists of al Qaeda fame, etc.
For the USA and our ally, Israel, the Muslim Brotherhood is not an acceptable replacement for Mubarak. For very obvious reasons. Israel is even outraged at the way the Comrade dumped Murbarak twenty minutes after the crowd began to filter into Tah'rir Square. The Comrade didn't show any kind of sympathy for the Iranians who objected to Abracadabrajab's dictatorship -- and that situation should have been very clearly one that required support from the USA.
At any rate, apparently the US intelligence community had no inkling anything like this was going happen, and are still reeling in disbelief. I think the CIA is headed by a guy named Clapper who seems to be completely asleep at the wheel. I mean wasn't it just last month or so that he was completely taken by surprise to learn that a bunch of terrorists had been arrested in London? Now he's telling congress that The MUSLIM Brotherhood is a "largely secular" organization. Yeah. Like, Hey, Clapper, who's buried in Grant's Tomb? Just give us a ball park....
I actually wish someone would/could maintain some kind of governmental order in Egypt while it transitions to something more open and respective of human rights. Not so sure Murbarak is the man for that job. Even heard hints that if Mubarak or Suleiman remain head of state, between now and September, many of the people now rebelling might find themselves rounded up in the middle night, never to be seen or heard from again. I don't know enough about Egypt to believe or disbelieve that.
Maybe the Egyptian army? The people seem to like the army, and the army seems to be quite tolerant and willing to mingle, let people paint graffiti on their tanks and armored personnel vehicles and things like that.
What a mess, n'est-ce pas? Where's Alexander the Great when you need him?
I am especially worried about Israel.
Save the Republic -- all republics, everywhere.
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