Friday, August 16, 2013
Obama, Egypt and what's a coup?
I'm confused about Egypt, they protested en masse against Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood and got rid of him, now that they got rid of him with the help of the Egyptian military others are now protesting en masse in support of Morsi. Of course before that everyone protested against Mubarak but seems they can't settle on a permanent leader over there. As everyone knows the Obama Administration esp. Sec'y of State John Kerry won't label it a coup as that would automatically cut off about $1.3B in foreign aid we give Egypt every year. As an aside where in hell does that money come from since we're in perpetual debt and deficit mode these days? Anyway the death toll continues to rise in the Arab Spring turned Red Summer with 275 dead a few days ago although the Brotherhood wrongly claims around 2,000. Mohammad Morsi was destroying basic freedoms like freedom of the press and dealt harshly with political protestors and yet a good slice of the right-wing commentariat seemed to want him to stay even though it was obvious he was turning this North African nation and pivot in the Middle East into an Islamist state. Well if you go back to the days of right-wing Chilean leader Augusto Pinochet many on the Right sometimes have a habit of turning the other way, he was a right-wing kind of dictator so I really don't take right-wing commentary on foreign policy all that seriously to begin with. Remember back in the day when Egypt was a fun topic and gave rise to a song by The Bangles and a skit by Steve Martin?
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A coup by any other name...
ReplyDeleteWikipedia pronounced the recent Egyptian military actions a 'coup'. It seems coups are the norm in many countries and the US has fomented a few courtesy of the CIA. Of course
foreign policy wonks think there are good coups and bad coups. We Americans prefer the election, although we sure gripe about the results..and have since 1789. Call me a cynic,
but the Egyptian foreign aid is a bribe to keep
them from harassing Israel..and it seems to have worked.
Not much press imo to the plight of Coptic Christians at the hands of the Islamists.
ReplyDeleteThere are about 18 million and things are looking up since Morsi
ReplyDeletewas toppled .
That's nice of the general. Re specifically attacking and killing Christians and their churches though not an Egypt thing there's also Boko Haram an especially brutal group.
DeleteZ... this skit??? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgTPH5y1-ZI
ReplyDeleteIf it's the Steve Martin/King Tut skit yeah Dave.
DeleteThe Coptic Christians have their own Pope, Tawadris II. Hopefully
ReplyDeletetheir Vatican is an underground bunker...
I'm surprised Jimmy Carter isn't trying to get involved.
ReplyDeleteI think he got a flat in one of the wheels on his walker. Interesting how we can't control the world though.
ReplyDeleteNo matter who becomes President in Egypt half the nation will be against him...kinda like this country.
ReplyDeleteMight have to bring back the Pharaohs. A little Ahknaton and Thutmose stuff. Oh, wait..they hassled the Hebrews back then too.
ReplyDeleteThey were some astronomers though, them and the Babylonians and they built those great pyramids without labor unions.
ReplyDeleteDamn straight. Slave labor all the way.
DeleteI've a theory or thesis, maybe modern-day Republicans started way back when in some Egyptian desert region. Back then it was the pyramids and the Great Sphinx now it's you gotta come to work in 3' of snow you slacker you.
DeleteThe Babylonians were interested in star/planet movement and astrology. So they became mathematically clever . I tried the
ReplyDelete'Babylonian iteration', choosing 75 and estimated the square root
at 8.1 and ol Nebachadnezzer nailed it in only 5 iterations.
Odd about building the pyramids: all the movies about it used
union labor. :)
I'm sure you've heard, it was really the aliens.
DeleteIn that even, surely the Babylonians and their ilk had smartphones.
ReplyDeleteYou were talking about commercials recently. I love the Geico one "as happy as Paul Revere with a cell phone." Revere: "yeah they're coming, the British."
ReplyDeleteRE: Egyptian riot government. If they continue, they may wipe each side out and leave only the Copts.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Tawadros can govern the country.
DeleteI just knew it -- a Tawadros Conspiracy!
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile Mubarak may be getting out soon. Hey if Weiner can make a comeback...
DeleteMeanwhile in Syria, we hear (and see) reports of nerve gas use on civilians. Witnesses report dilated pupils, but organophosphate nerve agents cause the reverse-pinpointing of the pupils. Guess I will reserve judgment until they sort out the mydriasis from the
ReplyDeletemiosis, but the Syrian regime certainly seems capable of gassing
their own population.
That was Obama's red line remember? that's what I mean by a lack of gravitas. You can define that different ways but one is people don't take you seriously, you don't instill respect, you don't back up your words with actions when people call your bluff. Where's the No Fly Zone?
DeleteMcCain is the ever-ready robot when in comes to neoconism. But any interference would upset Rand Paul. I'd be a bit cautious given our rate of success in the middle east, ya know?
ReplyDeleteFor Obama it must be the Putin thing again.
Delete"I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straightforward and trustworthy. We had a very good dialogue. I was able to get a sense of his soul; a man deeply committed to his country and the best interests of his country." U.S. President George W. Bush at a joint press conference, June 16, 2001
ReplyDelete___g_r_a_v_i_t_a_s_
Did you see the BBC News today? Obama's red line was crossed and France is taking what should be his position.
ReplyDeleteFigures; Syria used to be a French colony.
ReplyDeleteSo did Viet Nam....
But BB if Obama really has no taste for getting involved militarily in Syria why'd he make the Red Line Statement in the first place? Seems to me he'd have to follow through and limited arms to the rebels isn't enough at this point and even that's still in the works. If he doesn't follow through he appears very Paulian and weak and not a backer of his own words. You don't see the dilemma?
DeleteGood questions; he has not been specific about what he would do if the red line was crossed. He would (and should) make it an international action; we know at least some of the rebels are el Queda and we know that invading mid east
ReplyDeletecountries is costly and not very successful. Navy seals?
Not only did he say don't cross the red line Mr. Assad but he also said there'd be enormous consequences if he did. Those were his words and it goes without saying it needs to be an international coalition. You know I was watching the BBC News last night and UN Sec'y Gen. Ban Ki-Moon (now there's a name for some Chinese takeout!) but he seemed to think if he simply says to Mr. al-Assad "sir we need to come back and go into those three suburbs of Damascus to ascertain exactly what happened last Wed. morning" that he'll just say "oh sure come on in." You're right though some of the rebs are not exactly Ben Franklin luvin' types and it's complicated but Mr. Obama did say the words BB - Red Line Do Not Cross.
DeleteProbably best to get all the facts about the red line.
ReplyDeleteObama needs to address the nation and give the spokespeople a rest.
DeleteIf Alex Jones were writing about the Middle East you might get this. So the State Dept. is still sifting through all the facts and they have to wade through the latest conspiracy theories too? Look at it this way, is Bashar al-Assad a good man, a decent leader of his country? Let's say it is all a part of Saudi war propaganda and an international coalition takes out the Assad government I mean what are you saying BB?
DeleteInternational affairs are very complex; probably unnecessarily so.
ReplyDeleteSo, now Pvt. Manning, the prolific downloader and Assange buddy want Uncle Sam to give him a sex change? Whatever happened to 'get up early, work all day, mind your own business, feed the horses and go to bed'?
I've a theory on him/her. He got 35 years right? I think he's trying to tap into the growing liberal societal sympathy and empathy for the whole LGBT community. You get a stiff sentence you go all pc on us.
DeleteKnew of a gay kid way back in the late fifties enlisted in the Navy. I suspect it was to ogle. He received a Section 8 after a month at sea, returned, packed up and moved to a monastery. I heard he still monks around there.
ReplyDeleteI'm a big fan of that Abbey Ale though. Those monks sure know how to brew.
ReplyDeleteTheir brandy is heavenly as well...
ReplyDeleteWell it appears that Syria is going to be struck very soon and well-placed sources are saying sooner rather than later so as to prevent the next chemical attack. Depending on how it's executed I'm willing to give Obama a few points for this or maybe he'll just drone Bashar al-Assad after he leaves his palace.
ReplyDeleteGeneral Powell remains cautious. The guy that 'proved' WMD evidence on TV is
ReplyDelete'once burned, twice shy'.
Dunno, I've always found Colin Powell to be mildly annoying like the superior neighbor who ignores your "Good Morning".
ReplyDeleteI'd heard they never say "good morning" in NYC. Probably an
ReplyDelete'urban' legend.
Yonkers too. I know a guy who grew up his whole life in Yonkers, folks kinda indifferent and not too friendly in some nabes, downright hostile in others and so the guy moved to beautiful Carmel NY up in the country and like his second or third day there his neighbor goes "good morning" and because he wasn't used to this the guy goes "what?"
ReplyDeleteCarmel NY was beautiful maybe 35 years ago. Last time I saw it I was devastated at what it's become.
ReplyDeleteYou mean all the malls and shopping?
DeleteI remember when you didn't have to dial an exchange if you were calling someone in the same exchange as you.... our number was Carmel 5-8890, but if for example my school was calling the house all they had to dial was 8890. I remember when the Carmel Diner was nextdoor to stop n steal at the corner there up the hill from the highschool. I remember when there was just a big field with cows where Shoprite eventually moved in. I remember buying gas at the gas station at the bottom of the hill from the courthouse, down past the bank (Putnam County National) and it was 70 cents a gallon. I remember buying cigarettes for my mom at Ben Franklin and they were like 40 cents. I remember the Book N Record. And the movie theater.
DeleteThat was a long time ago.
Down here you speak to everyone. Anyone you see, anyone you walk past in the grocery store, you say good morning, how are you. You just do it. If you don't, you're rude. If someone catches your eye first and asks you how you are you say fine, I hope you are. And you say please and thank you and yall have a blessed day.
ReplyDeleteListening to Hannity in the car before and re Syria how come Bush got to have two wars but Obama can't have one?
ReplyDeleteLooking like things are getting serious...
ReplyDeleteThey say this weekend but getting back to Hannity on yesterday's radio show he pretty much sounded like he's against any possible military action against Syria which is a perfectly respectable position don't get me wrong but dollars to donuts if Bush started a third war and went into Syria for some reason Hannity would've been all gungho in supporting him. I remember back in the day Hannity would attack anyone who called up even voicing mild disagreement with the Iraqi campaign so yeah for Hannity Bush got to go to any war of his choosing but for some reason it's wrong if Obama's gonna do it. Then there's Pat Buchanan and his usual isolationist thoughts......
ReplyDeleteIf Obama came out vocally supporting the right to breathe, the right wing would immediately demonize breathing, attempt to show that only Marxists claim breathing as a right, and introduce legislation to criminalize breathing in all 50 states.
ReplyDeleteSounds like congress wants a say in the Syrian matter. Given their
ReplyDeletetrack record, they will be arguing about it for the next fifty years...
Iraq and Afghanistan are by most accounts failures, conservative kudos to Bush the patriot anyway but somehow it's wrong for Obama to go into Syria.
ReplyDeleteScuttlebutt is several US missile destroyers which launch hundreds of cruise Tomahawks, assess damage and launch some more hundreds,
ReplyDeletethe rationale being not to attack the regime, but punish it for the gas attack. Rock/hard place for Obama-if he does nothing, the GOP goes for the throat; if he does something, GOP goes for the throat. Therefore, we should send the GOP over there to do it.
But let's remember BB if Obama has no stomach for this shouldn't have issued the Red Line Statement in the first place. I'm with you though, let's send Rush and Sean over.
ReplyDeleteRussia sends warships, Israelis scramble for gas masks and Pope Francis says keep talking. Is he serious?
ReplyDeleteIt seems to hinge on the gas attacks; the antidotal evidence (films of victims, witness descriptions) should be solidified by
ReplyDeletevictim samples obtained yesterday by UN inspection teams:
"The cholinesterase activity of the blood components is inhibited by nerve agents, and estimation of this activity is useful in detecting exposure to these agents. The erythrocyte enzyme activity is more sensitive to acute nerve agent exposure than is the plasma enzyme activity.
The amount of inhibition of this enzyme activity does not correlate well with the severity of local effects from mild to moderate vapor exposure. The enzyme activity may be from 0% to 100% of the individual's normal activity in the face of miosis, rhinorrhea, and/or airway symptoms. Normal or nearly normal erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase activity may be present with moderate effects in these organs. At the other extreme, the enzyme may be inhibited by 60% to 70% when miosis or rhinorrhea is the only sign of exposure. Severe systemic effects generally indicate inhibition of the erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase by 70% to 80% or greater.
Other laboratory findings will relate to complications. For example, acidosis may occur after prolonged hypoxia."
...then the "red line" will meet the standards of the Marines on
Guadalcanal in WWII: when Japanese bombers were spotted by coastwatchers, the Island was notified and the announcement
"Condidion Red" was announced. One day, the enemy sent out hundreds of bombers from Rabaul and the impressed announcer
blurted "Condition VERY Red".
In the meantime, directly from the horse's mouth-
ReplyDelete"Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who helped sell Congress and the American people on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan under former President George W. Bush, believes the Obama administration has failed to justify any potential military intervention in Syria."
The fountain of foreign policy wisdom George W. Bush -- OBL directly linked to 9-11 but invade Iraq. Now a very confirmable sarin gas attack by the Syrian gov't and Obama should hold off 'cause Hannity says so.
ReplyDeleteI see Britain is not enthusiastic. Gotta come up with something that is workable, doesn't get us involved in yet another Mideast
ReplyDeletekerfuffle yet empresses the Syrians. You nailed it..Rush and Hannity. (and maybe John Bolton in a turban..the new Lawrence of Arabia)
The British House of Commons just voted a no go and Cameron won't override. Meanwhile intel is divided but France still seems willing.
ReplyDeleteNow in Breaking News there's last Monday's napalm attack on a Syrian school and I saw the horrific footage on the Today Show this morning so I'm not sure what the international community like Britain is waiting to happen before they get involved and form a coalition. What will it take mass beheadings? Despite the carping conservative commentary we're hearing directed at Obama I think it goes without saying it ain't easy being the man in charge.
ReplyDeleteEven the fire-eating French are backing off . They probably remember losing
ReplyDelete25,000 troops back in the Algerian affair.
The US seems willing to go it alone. So who's controlling events in all of this Alex Jones?
ReplyDeleteI've heard the 'let them kill each other off" argument..which of course that goes back to the Germans/Russians in WWII. Apparently, though, most of the other mid-east Muslim countries are fed up with the Syrian regime: Israel is keeping their nose out and maybe General Hannity and some mad Kurds could....
ReplyDeleteWith all the dithering people are gonna lose interest and get back to twerking. Cameron is no Churchhill.
ReplyDeleteThe 'ghost of Iraq'...
ReplyDeleteThere's no doubt BB that's what it is. Thanx again Bush!
ReplyDeleteNow the executive branch is tossing it to the legislative branch.
ReplyDeleteIMO, not a bad idea: spreads responsibility, more than meets constitutional requirements, gives time for more conclusive evidence, lets the loyal opposition have a say...and if they
approve, there is a consensus; if they disapprove the Prez has
an excuse for moving the red line in the sand.
& it also gives more time for Assad to launch another chemical attack. If Idi Amin were still alive today and ruling Uganda while Congress debates he'd be eating another head.
ReplyDeleteThe Tea Party
ReplyDeletesector is much against any Syrian action. Figures-they are strong
for their own rights while overseas kids get gassed.
Congress, first the ninnies gotta get back from their recess.
ReplyDeleteThis could be the big chance for congress to get together on a decision either way and raise their 12% popularity polls.
ReplyDeleteI hear undertakers are more popular. I agree more with McCain's POV and would add it needs to be more than a military spanking.
ReplyDeleteMcCain would still have troops in Viet Nam, Panama, Grenada, Iraq,
ReplyDeleteLebanon, Haiti, Somslia and Quemoy. He puts the neo in con. He is the would-be Francisco Pizzaro of nation building. Other than that, nice fellow and definite war hero patriot.
Bush had such a cultlike following among righties that if he wanted to invade Syria and you disagreed it would be Bush-bashing.
ReplyDeleteI recall being labeled traitorous because I questioned the wmd thing. Cult is a pretty accurate word.
ReplyDelete"If you are not with us, you are against us" leaves not middle ground.
ReplyDeleteBush was the Patriot, Obama is something else. Hey is Congress coming back from the recess or what?
ReplyDeleteHard to say; they want to end ACA by shutting down the government,
ReplyDeletesolve the immigration problem, eliminate all taxes and tackle defense spending. But, hey a vacation is a vacation.
You know about McCain while I agree with his position I really think he secretly would like to operate the drone that takes out Assad in his bedroom.
ReplyDeleteMcCain comes from an old Navy family; his father commanded a submarine in WWII, became a 4-star Admiral, was in command in VN
ReplyDeletewhen his son Jr. was imprisoned by the Cong, drank hard, smoked cigars and was famous for his greeting, "Good God-damned Morning!"
John Wayne kinda guy, ya know? So his son the Senator shares the
bloodline.
I worked with a man who was a colonel in the Vietnam War then was a butcher for the next 40 years. What are the odds that he has "Brokeback Mountain" in his video collection?
ReplyDeleteInteresting, with congress weighing in, the splits among the Dems
ReplyDeleteand GOPs. Wonder if they had done that with Iraq?
& Boehner is foursquare behind the president. I have to be honest, the Ghost of Iraq is starting to haunt me too.
ReplyDeleteMcCain voted against: it didn't go far enough. Not enough blood,
ReplyDeleteguts, years, nukes?
Thank God the man isn't president.
ReplyDeleteIt should be noted McCain was caught playing video poker on his smartphone for three hours during the hearings. Maybe he should retire?
ReplyDeleteDon't blame him; I was in one of those long insufferable management
ReplyDeleteseminars one time. A guy at the table fell asleep. People began placing napkins on him until he was covered. Management people are
mean.
I was at a library conference once, went with a co-worker and this one woman speaker was so boring and dry we said afterwards she would've even made the subject of sex boring.
ReplyDelete