With Friends Like These …
You don’t need enemies.
I first heard this on NPR, but here’s the CNN version: White House criticizes Egyptian government and vice president
Washington (CNN) — President Barack Obama’s spokesman criticized the Egyptian government on Tuesday for arresting and harassing journalists and rights activists, and called comments by Vice President Omar Suleiman that Egypt is not ready for democracy “particularly unhelpful.”
The remarks by White House press secretary Robert Gibbs reflected a growing U.S. dissatisfaction with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Suleiman, the intelligence officer Mubarak chose as his deputy to bring about reforms demanded by protesters who have convulsed Cairo and the Egyptian economy for more than two weeks.
In another sign of U.S. frustration with the pace of reform in Egypt, Vice President Joe Biden, in a phone call Tuesday with Suleiman, pushed for more progress, according to a White House statement.
Biden urged “that the transition produce immediate, irreversible progress that responds to the aspirations of the Egyptian people,” according to the White House statement.
So Suleiman essentially tells the world that all of the elections held since Mubarak came to power haven’t been free and fair, something that Egypt has denied that entire time, and that you can’t trust the Egyptian people to rule themselves. This is the guy that the White House wanted to deal with the problems in Egypt.
Look, the situation is simple – the people in Tahrir Square have no intention of leaving while Mubarak is still in power. Now Suleiman says he doesn’t believe in democracy, so they aren’t likely to trust him, if they ever did.
In a situation like this, it is time to call in Jimmy Carter and have him set up some elections. He does this a lot and knows who to call to get this organized. First you elect a parliament in free and open elections, and then the Egyptians can decide what they want to do with their country. Before you call the elections, Mubarak has to go, or the demonstrations won’t stop. Everyone admits that today’s gathering was possibly the largest yet.
3 comments
The elephant in the picture that the Village appears to be ignoring is the fact that the U.S. has much more influence on what happens in Egypt than in Iran, because Egypt relies on the U.S. not only for billions of dollars in military assistance, but also parts and ammunition for its war machine. A quiet “you fire upon protesters with live ammo, and you’re cut off” behind the scenes may be an explanation *other* than the one about “the generals aren’t sure their soldiers would fire” for why the situation has not degenerated into outright slaughter.
That said, protests aren’t going to change anything, because protests make people feel good and make the rulers look bad but don’t do much to harm the interests of the rulers. I have been baffled for some time by the U.S. emphasis upon protests. When French workers are upset about benefits cuts or changes in labor laws or whatever, they don’t just politely march around in front of government buildings, they go on strike and they block the roads with their vehicles and they shut down the country and they don’t blink until they get at least some of what they want. But then, I suppose it helps that in France you have a legally-guaranteed right to your job and cannot be fired for going on strike, only for documented incompetence or malfeasance… but that wasn’t always the case, and French workers didn’t get that right written into their lawbooks by politely marching around in a public square with signs.
– Badtux the Puzzled Penguin
This isn’t helpful,
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/revealed-us-envoys-business-link-to-egypt-2206329.html
http://www.pattonboggs.com/fwisner/
Well, Badtux, they seem to be listening to you, as the strikes have started in the transportation industry with bus service in Cairo and the workers on the Suez Canal, which will really upset the “powers that be” inside and outside Egypt.
Of additional interest is the very limited participation by the Muslim Brotherhood. In addition to being late in supporting the protests, they have said they will not be part of any transition government, and won’t run a candidate for president. They seem to believe that possible gains aren’t worth the risks. The MB has problems of its own, as its membership is noticeably graying without many newer, younger members. It would seem that Egyptian youth have decided to be Egyptians first.
Sorry, Ame, but I’m not even mildly shocked that the Obama administration sent a lobbyist who works for Egypt to talk to Egypt. That’s how they handle almost everything. No one in White House has the first clue about the concept of “conflict of interest”.