| Submit your comments on this article |
| Africa North |
| The Incredible Lightness of Obama |
| 2011-02-07 |
| This week saw a showdown between the man whose most significant achievement before 2008 was that he very nearly got the asbestos removed from the Altgeld Gardens tenements in Chicago and the third-longest-ruling head of Egypt since the Pharaoh Ramses, whose reign lasted 67 years. The Egyptian, an 82-year-old with terminal cancer, easily bested the community organizer, the man elected by people who quite clearly confused the last presidential election with an American idol contest. While many who elected the American president probably do not yet realize it, it is lucky for them that he lost the showdown, for had he not, the results would have created worldwide havoc and devastation. |
| Posted by:g(r)omgoru |
| #10 I don't care much for Gordon Brown or his collection of DVDs, but any man who has the mental slack time to upstage another man in the way he did, doesn't have the right to call himself mature or adult. And 'that' is the US president? Oh lord. |
| Posted by: kojack 2011-02-07 20:38 |
| #9 Brave Sir Robin: "Who nearly stood up to the Chicken of Bristol..." |
| Posted by: mojo 2011-02-07 15:00 |
| #8 He's fast pissing away the last advantages... As Designed. |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2011-02-07 14:33 |
| #7 He's fast pissing away the last advantages (on all fronts) that the USA had over others after WW-II. |
| Posted by: Water Modem 2011-02-07 12:48 |
| #6 The notion put forward by the pollyannas and the MSM that if somehow Mubarak left that Egypt would move towards democracy is laughable. That O and company entertained that shows how out of touch they are. That O would consider working with and kissing up the Muslim Brotherhood shows the inner workings of his true character. The only way -- ONLY WAY -- for Egypt to move towards some form of stable, prosperous democracy is to have a Chile decade. Or a South Korea decade. That means some form of authoritarian government that whacks the evil-doers (be they communists or islamicists) and otherwise keeps but a light foot on the neck of the people. That authoritarian government's chief virtue is that it listens to the right economists, as Pinochet listened to Friedman, and allow the country to move towards prosperity. Markets. Economic rule of law that makes sense and protects merchants from large to very small. Labor laws that let people work and protect them from the worst abuses. Public investment into infrastructure that matters. Protection of minorities. Protection of women. Getting children out of work and into schools. Over time, the country would build a middle class, empower institutions that promote stability, and provide mechanisms for popular, broad-based political parties to exist out in the open. The reward of the authoritarian government's leaders would be to be chased from office someday and put into 'human rights' trials, or something like that. Which is why Mubarak, and Suleiman after him, are no Pinochets. I hate to think that I'd advocate authoritarianism for even a day. It's abhorrent to what we believe as Americans. I don't see Egypt turning to representative, parliamentary, stable democracy overnight. I see Egypt turning to chaos and then to the Muslim Brotherhood, and thence to evil. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2011-02-07 12:23 |
| #5 Ooof. I find it..optimistic to say Mubarak is/will continue to be what was called a close ally. I know the Europeans were calling for transition but not with the tone (IIUC) Obama & co. were; how could Mubarak work with O&Co. without thinking there is some move behind it. Seems to me that Israel and S.A. were the only ones who were actively supporting Mubarak/controlled transition/stability. Mo Public, and I understand the grievances, IMHO would have suffered greatly. It takes a while from purchase to delivery then distribution, banks closed, chaos in the government, no security at the street level, and no choice in installed government. I also agree that if O&Co. had succeeded as they wanted the whole area would have gone kaput quickly. As TW noted the other day, it appears Beredai was selected on account of name recognition and peace prize, UN status creditials but now that it isn't a sure thing he is not so interested...meaning he just wanted the position not the work. He would have been just a figurehead nobody would have listened to except the media. Hopefully in a couple weeks y'all can point and laugh at what I thought would happen with a coup which succeeded in removing the Egypt gov but could not put together a gov of their own...the most likely scenario in my mind had Mubarak been chased out or worse. Argue with me please, but how would a new gov be inserted quickly and be effective without some sort of purge of previous gov and military? Who was going to oversee, if anyone, a purge if it did happen? What is the acceptable risk of transit through the Suez Canal and timeline by international community to get the thing open (that is not a self centered question, Egypt must have a stable port and maritime transit for the stability, both actual and perceived, to give them the best chance of growing a more fruitful government)? |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2011-02-07 11:37 |
| #4 the man elected by people who quite clearly confused the last presidential election with an American idol contest That's going to leave a mark, too. Hopefully the people realize it. |
| Posted by: gorb 2011-02-07 11:21 |
| #3 the almost-hero of Altgeld Gardens That's going to leave a mark... |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2011-02-07 08:37 |
| #2 Good sum-up of the current failings and failures of Obama's administration. 2012 seems very far away. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2011-02-07 08:32 |
| #1 A readable piece. |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2011-02-07 07:53 |