(Disclaimer: I don't know WTF I'm talking about here)
Sometimes certain major topical events pose a type of dilemma for the average blogger. I am not an Egyptologist, the Mideast is beyond my pay grade and yet I feel rather compelled to open up the crisis in Egypt for discussion. It's one of those topics you have to google or bing so as to appear semi-literate ("Mubarak's 30-yr rule", "Anwar Sadat assassinated in 1981", "Suleiman for VP", "40% of oil to Europe flowing through the Suez Canal"......) but you'll never rise to the rank of university professor rapping with Jim Lehrer (the reader will note I didn't have much to say on Tunisia of late). It seems to me Mubarak has to go, even his own generals are against him (how am I doing? OG I wish I could blog about Charlie Sheen right now!) but Mubarak kind of reminds me of Pinochet, our kind of dictator about whom we can look the other way at least for a time. Did the looters get to the Pyramids yet? there's a curse on that sort of stuff you know. I have to give my blog some heft with an occasional foray into foreign policy, people are still starving in Niger you know, but as Wikipedia would put it this article can use input from an expert or scholar in the field. BB?:)
The foreign policy of the United States is ripe for change. Truth be told the only talking real meaningful change is of course Ron Paul. The US has for far too long paid unprecedented amounts of lip service to the idea of democracy in the Middle East and elsewhere all the while propping up dictators and then, through their own clandestine organizations (be it Al CIAeda or what have you), helping to facilitate regime change through false staging. I am suspect in part to what we are seeing here in Egypt and elsewhere. To have Mubarak fall only to give rise to the UN's puppet Mohamed ElBaradei would be disasterous.
ReplyDeleteI think a true revolution where the people decide their own future (whatever future they wish) is the best course of action. Naturally, that's not what America wants, it's not what Israel wants, and it's not what the Saudi's want either.
They all want to rule like kings over their citizens.
But what does Henry Kissinger think?
ReplyDeleteI have my suspicions. You may recall that he was a key player in the talks during the '70s which led to the separation of forces agreement between Israel and Egypt which ultimately led to their peace treaty and a hefty aid package from the US of course. The Israeli's support Mubarak, the US wants Mubarak (unless they can swap him for someone who will dance to their tune even better) and I suspect Kissinger loves it too.
ReplyDeleteYou know back in the day alot of regime changes were fomented by the CIA so what think you? Even when I was a kid I knew about Jimmy Carter and Camp David and Menechem Begin and Anwar Sadat, it's like there's always this BIG NEWS and we're ALWAYS on the verge of PEACE there and yet it never happens. What I don't get though is we owe the Chinese God knows how much money, they're financing our debt and yet we have millions to give in aid to foreign countries. In the old days if a person ran their checkbook this way they'd be in jail.
ReplyDeleteAnd like sand through the hourglass so are the ways of fiat currency.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking Kissinger is a Domino Theory guy..you know, if Korea goes, VN goes...then it was communism, now it is Islam.
ReplyDeleteA lot of oil passes through the Suez canal.
It seems like a no-win,
lose-lose..pick your poison. Where are the
hyksos
when you need em?
I have never really got into the middle east in terms of learning all about it. The most I can say is I like how Israeli women tie their scarves, I don't think a burqa is necessarily a bad idea and my Uncle George was the SPITTING IMAGE of Yasser Arafat, I mean seriously, they say everybody's got a twin and that was his so I crack up every time I see Arafat's picture.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, and I love middle eastern food. Except falafel. But I like to say it cause it's fun.
One of the things that bugs me the most about any discussion regarding the Middle East is that you apparently must reserve any criticisms of Israel lest someone call you and anti-semite.
ReplyDeleteThis is probably why I never got into the whole thing in the first place. Joe Sobran and Pat Buchanan have been critical of Israel in the past, remember the brouhaha about Pat's Amen corner comments? William Buckley Jr. devoted a whole National Review to the topic and Sobran used to be an editor over there but not anymore. The NY Post is a Zionist newspaper etc. but my understanding of Middle Eastern history is there's enough blame to go around but you can't really say that. One thing that scares me about Sarah Palin though and I like her is if I only have the most general knowledge of this area mostly gleaned from what I read in the papers I probably know more than her.
ReplyDeleteJust don't take your Middle East cues from John Bolton and you'll be okay.
ReplyDeleteYou know there's so many other important things going on in the world and the Middle East continues to take up so much of our time. Each succeeding administration has to be preoccupied by it, there's just something about the issue that rankles me.
ReplyDeleteIt comes down to oil and the United State's desire to prop up any old Tom, Dick, or Harry who's willing to keep his citizens oppressed so that they never build up their infrastructure etc.
ReplyDeleteThe same way China brought the hammer down upon a thriving Hong Kong, so too has the United States done its part to clamp down on the Middle East.
& you know why Switzerland never gets attacked? Because they mind their own damned business, don't take sides. Another albeit small reason is that's where all the $$$$$$ is:)
ReplyDelete