Monday, January 31, 2011

It's getting positively Rawlesian over there...

With the civil unrest still going strong in Egypt after almost a week and the police having largely abandoned the streets, private militias have taken to guarding neighborhoods, gated communities are manning checkpoints and barricades, and food is running out with deliveries disrupted by rioting and curfews.

Meanwhile, before everybody goes patting themselves on the back over this big victory for freedom and democracy, let's remember what happened last time we saw this movie: Dithering jelly-spined US president who speaks in platitudes, tottering aged strongman, rowdy mobs demanding democracy, global economy in the toilet... All we're missing is the angry-looking fundamentalist exile with the beard and the turban, and it's time to break out the old ELO albums and dust off Kramer vs. Kramer on Betamax, 'cause it's 1979 all over again.

28 comments:

Mulliga said...

I think one Tam quote sums up the whole situation:

"I'll admit that watching idiots suffer is one of my favorite spectator sports, but not when they turn it into an audience participation activity. Those who do not know history are condemning me to repeat it."

Unknown said...

No matter what sort of political outcome occurs, there's still no economy of note, the country is broke and food prices are still rising. The whole damned deal is chock full of "What if?" and "Maybe..."

Whatever happens in this next week or so is just a beginning. It's not like a TV show where everything is settled in 22 or 44 minutes of yawp and action.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

I keep wanting to whap the talking heads on the TV. Egypt ain't Berlin in 1989 folks! The Moslem Brotherhood=Hamas= bad juju, and they are the ones who have taken over managing the protests/revolt/revolution whatever you choose to call it.
LittleRed1

rickn8or said...

Speaking of "Dithering jelly-spined US president who speaks in platitudes", I've been wondering why Jimmah hasn't gone/been sent to Egypt to pour oil on troubled waters. I mean it's not like he's overseeing the "election" of a dictator or anything right now...

Standard Mischief said...

We probably ought to be air-lifting food and other aid there right now and for the foreseeable future. Inflation has really put the squeeze on this oil rich nation, and most of the common folk are in bad shape.

Hurray for the U.S. for supporting another dictator.

I don't really believe the MSM's current spin that the starving poor want democracy.

Seriously, the last thing we need is someone to waltz in and say something like "land, bread, and peace!"

Jeff said...

Don't bring me down....

ViolentIndifference said...

You win, Jeff.

Brian Dunbar said...

, 'cause it's 1979 all over again.

Do I get a redo on middle school, then?

Anonymous said...

A large scale Arab "awakening" will not mean rainbows and unicorns.

I wonder if somebody has asked where are the carrier yet.

Gerry

Jake (formerly Riposte3) said...

I must say, even with my concern about how this will all end up, I do like this little bit:
"Awad said the troops, who are filling in the vacuum left by a police force that has largely left the streets, then made an example out of the suspected robber.

"They undressed him and tied him up on top of a tank and they drove around with him."


That's one way to deal with robbers (and politicians, but I guess that's being redundant).

Stretch said...

Garry;
I wonder if somebody has asked where are the carrier yet.

In this administrations the phrase "Strike Force" means a bunch of purple shirted union goons scaring a lone teen in a house.

theirritablearchitect said...

Yes, please send 'Ole Buckteeth over there as some sort of diplomat...or offering, I don't care which.

By all means, however, break out that ELO on vinyl!

Anonymous said...

Thank God i have retired from the military!! I did the first b.s. in 79 and would not like a repete of all of that again! The carrier has already left port!

NotClauswitz said...

Banding-together is a classic case of Arab small-group tribalism, in the case of Arabs it means, "I and My Brother Against My Cousin" - it starts at the local level of neighbors vs non-neighbors.
But the MosBro's who aim to step-in are precursors of the nasty, the grandfather of Hezbollah, Hamas, and al-Qaeda they were only a small, unpopular group of anti-modern fanatics who were unable to attract members until they were adopted by Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich beginning in the 1930s.

Firehand said...

What was that line Insty had a while back, that Jimmy Carter II was looking like the BEST outcome of The One's regime?

Anonymous said...

A little addendum: If Mubarak isn't succeeded by someone who is friendly, Israel may find that it's peace accord (Camp David) may be terminated. Perhaps it is time to send two carriers & a battleship, if one can be found. The last time radical and fanatic Muslims took over Egypt, they ended up here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Tours

Oy vey! (& I'm not even Jewish)

Ulises from CA

Anonymous said...

Wouldn't it be funny if Jimmy the Peanut and his entourage of mixed nuts went over there to mediate a peace-fuller transition to the standard dictatorship over the proletariat and ended up being held as 'guests' by a mob of revolutionary 'students'?

Naw... Karma ain't that bitchy.

Anonymous said...

If Jimmah makes a little diplomatic trip and they grab him up as anon 3:51 speculates?

No rescue mission, and no givebacks.

"America Held Hostage" and no one came or cared...

AT

Mikael said...

Hey look, one of the USA's favorite little dictators is getting run out of his country with his tail between his legs by his fed up oppressed masses.

Yup there's a lot of potential fallout from this, but then again it kind of exposes the "we want them to have democracy" hyprocism.

I hope the religious nutcases won't get control, but it seems unlikely as they're not exactly all that popular in egypt anyway. Oh they'll fight for it, but I don't think they'll get it. (If this was happening in saudi arabia I'd be more worried).

Their economy is also heavily influenced by the tourist trade, so I imagine they'll want to quiet things down pretty soon.

The friendly terms with Israel are quite likely to if not cease, at least be re-negotiated.

I expect to see something similar to what's been happening in tunisia. Interim government writes a constitution, democratic elections are held and everything quiets down so they can keep milking the tourists.

Unless of course it goes massive bloodbath as the dictator's backers help him back into power.

mongo78 said...

1979, you say? all we need is for streaking to make a comeback and the story will be complete.

Tam said...

Mikael,

"Hey look, one of the USA's favorite little dictators..."

He ain't my favorite little dictator.

Maybe some folks that fled his regime will return home and stop torching schools in Malmo now...

Anonymous said...

Indiana is the next egypt. Good luck with that....

CIII

Tam said...

Thank you, oh Amazing Kreskin!

Anonymous said...

Out of every $100 the US spends, 52 cents goes to Egypt in Foreign aid. The use every drop of oil they produce and are the biggest importers of wheat in the world. Now they're getting hungry and desperate. All 82 some million of em. Mostly testosterone fueled addle (Arab) brained Muslim youths -right next to paranoid (justly) nuclear armed Israel. what could go wrong?
Think it might be all starting folks. Better start reading the archives over at survivalblog.com and buying the odd extra can of beans.

Bubblehead Les. said...

Also lived through '79 with that Peanut-Brained Idiot as my Commander-in-Chief. VERY SCARY TIMES. Hope you Youngin's don't have to repeat History.

Pop N Fresh said...

"Rawlesian"

thus coffee and kahlua was spat upon the keyboard

better be careful or people who sign everything with their full name might put you on a list

Mikael said...

Didn't mean you personally, but foreign policy wise, I'm dead on.