Egypt is the new Pakistan
Today, you may not have felt the tremor whose epicenter was Cairo. The area we Americans call the Middle East occupies the center-of-gravity of our national interests according to our President’s National Security Strategy.
Granted, Obama’s strategy begins at home with a focus to build and maintain a strong economy. Read the May 2010 document online and make your own assessment of where we stand two years hence.
Egypt is the new Pakistan sans nuclear weapons. Egypt is now officially a military state which has been an unofficial reality for years. Russia’s Putin will be seriously courting and arming Egypt soon when America begins their inevitable embargo policy. There were rumblings in the Senate today from Leahy (D –Vermont) suggesting a hold on our planned 1.3 billion military assistance disbursement. Putin must be pleased.
Israel continues to be nervous with the US foreign policy “lexdysia”. Obama’s at the point of being overwhelmed by events. Obama’s lack of partnership nurturing with Israel will contribute to his “one-term” memoir to be published in 2015. Romney had better be mustering a serious shadow war cabinet in addition to an economic policy team. By the time Romney wins the election, he will be grappling with two Pakistans and a widened regional conflict in the Middle East.
When the Obama Administration coyly announces in August that the United States is in an official recession that actually started yesterday, those who wish us harm and those who have behaved for a time will seriously misbehave. Our Armed Forces have entered a period of down-sizing. The world is aware of our political-economic-military anemia.
What could Obama do? He could surround himself with his friends and in the Middle East the list is short. Number one: Israel. Number two: Israel.
The Cold War never warmed.
Phil Cardarella
1 year agoOr, we could just wait and see if the Egyptian presidential election — and the new parliamentiary elections — sort this out.
Yes, the military are in charge. But, they are in charge because the Supreme Court — enforcing the rule of law, DUH! — dissolved a parliament in which the Muslim Brotherhood had cheated to dominate.
We have a simplistic idea of democracy — one we do not follow in the USA Or Al Gore would have been President when he got 500,000 more voted than Bush, and interracial marriage would still be illegal in most states. Democracy is not a holy grail. It is — within limits — the best means to the end of a goo, free society, (Churchill called it the “worst form of government, save for all others.”)
The rule of the Egyptian Parliamentiary election set aside 1/3 of the seats for independents. This was intended to make sure the non-Islamist folks — who had not had the advantage of underground organizations and Saudi money — would have representation. The Brotherhood cheated and ran candidates in those seats — effectively locking the actual, secular reformers out of parliament.
The Egyptian Supreme Court just proved that it was more honorable than the US Court that made Bush president: It followed the law.
By the way, there is no need to worry about Russia wanting to jump into Egypt. Putin’s boys want to sell arms to places that can buy them — and without our money, the Egyptian Army couldn’t afford rations.
JR Beillenhouser
1 year agoPhil - as usual wrong about so much.
Egypt is a mess and will be for decades, and Obama and the democrats own it.
Tom Ryan
Crossroads, Kansas City
1 year agoKay, share an opinion. Write. NATO . Muslim Brotherhood . :-) S.I. Hiyakawa in his book “Language in Thought and Action” described a technique of argument called “poisoning the well”…you do it well.
Tom Ryan
Crossroads, Kansas City
1 year agocorrection - “Hayakawa” …