Walk like an Egyptian....
Across the Pond • Published 13 Feb 2011 09:30
1 Comment
There's two classes of people in Egypt. The wealthy upper class, and then everyone else. President Obama made the right move and now supports the revolutionary movement. In a revolution "you are either part of the solution, or part of the problem" (Eldridge Cleaver). There is no neutral ground in politics...
In some odd twist of foreign policy the US has a track record of supporting losing sides. Anastasia Somoza, Shah of Iran, Ferdinand Marcos, Baby 'Doc' Duvalier all ended up being ousted from power despite support from the US. Manuel Noriega, who was our man in Panama, went 'Chuck Norris' on the US, and is now languishing in a Florida Federal prison.
President Mubarak apparently didn't get the memo, and the army has now assumed control. Support from the US for Mubarak was a little tepid and the former President will fade into obscurity, or go into retirement in Riyadh.
Saudi Arabia traditionally provides refuge for former dictators such as Idi Amin, Tunisian President Ben Ali and former Pakistan Premier Nawaz Sharif.
The Egyptian Army is a political force, and control ultimately who is in power. In most countries the army take orders, in Egypt, they just take over. Who and what faction the Army support, will determine if we have another Muslim fundamentalist state, or a cozy ally with the west.
In post WW1 Europe and the Balkans a lot of the Royal Heads of Europe nervously looked at the demise of the Kaiser, Russian Tsar, Hapsburgs, Turkish and Bulgarian Royalty and wondered when their time would come. Nationalist revolutions have a tendency to cross international boundaries and Egypt's neighbouring Arab states remain wary.
Revolutions are a process, and not an outcome. The change in government in Egypt will be a long slow process leading to democracy.
Switzerland has former President Bush on their 'we would rather you not come here list' and he has cancelled his trip to the alpine resort to address a meeting of a Jewish Charity Gala. It's not easy to tick-off the Swiss, but Mr. Bush has done it. Publicly advocating torture wasn't the smartest thing Mr. Bush did, actually not much he ever did was very bright.
The 2001 Patriot Act temporarily failed to make it through the House. It is very precarious to be opposed to any Bill with the word 'Patriot' in it. Had this bill been called the Government Wiretapping & Surveillance Law, it would have disappeared a long time ago.
The Patriot Act, which is certainly not a patriotic initiative, allows for domestic surveillance of US citizens. This surveillance includes monitoring emails, twitter, library or book seller records, and court approved wiretapping on multiple mobile phones.
Under the Lone Wolf provision of The Act, individuals can be targeted as an Army-of-One, and can be investigated by domestic intelligence agencies. Foreign nationals can be detained indefinitely, without trial or due process. Being a foreign national living in the US, that is a little disturbing.
As part of the Patriot Act provisions, followers of the WikiLeaks web site are sufficient grounds for investigation. Under the infamous 'Section 215' of the Act, telephone records, medical records and bank transactions can now be seized without the Government showing any proof of possible criminal intent.
Pogo I think said it best – "We have met the enemy, and them is us"...
Across the Pond
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triskell
149 posts
Feb 15, 02:16
Report comment"In most countries the army takes orders". Don't make me laugh. The army are the ultimate law in EVERY country. If they choose to fight for corrupt bankers and psychopathic public schoolboys then they are on the wrong side. They should be fighting for the ordinary people and not self-interest. The whole ethos and morality of the armed forces needs to be discussed out in the open and not mystified, glorified and distorted.
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