Indeed I've been thinking along the same lines as I heard Secretary Clinton speak. The problem is that those nice young women being interviewed by the Western press as "democracy advocates" speaking of how they are using twitter etc. . . to help organize the protests are not the ones who are going to be in power if they manage to overthrow the Egyptian Government. Rather it would be the Moslem Brotherhood in power, and that is not at all going to be a positive development for the West.
It won't be positive for the locals either. Do these nice young women "democracy advocates" not study history? Do they not know what happened in Iran? Do they not know that women in Iran in 2011 have less rights than women in Iran in 1977?
I'm afraid neither the young liberal Egyptians nor the U.S. Administration have given any thought to George Santayana.
The only problem is that when the Muslim Brotherhood has been permitted to run, they consistently get the most votes. This is a very dangerous balancing act, backing an unpopular regime, and on the other hand having everything slide into chaos.
They have never been allowed to run as an official party but as individual members, they got the most votes because they were the only alternative to protest against Mubarak and his regime. Given time and real democracy other alternatives will rise spanning the political spectrum. Also if the poor guy who votes for the Brotherhood gets a chance at social mobility, he will switch to a liberal party. We really have to stop with this condascending and meddling attitude in the West towards the Middle East. It is outdated colonialism and serves neither us or them.
So the really bad guys get the most votes. But, if there are free elections the really bad guys will not then get the most votes, seize power and do way with free elections. Talk about cockeyed optimism.
To imply that Likud and the Muslim Brotherhood are comparable would be laughable if the issues involved were not so very serious.
They may be a tame bunch, but it was a splinter cell of the brotherhood that assassinated Sadat
There we go again, indeed. You want the US to continue propping up a corrupt and repressive regime.
of course not why should those darky Muhammedans have democracy, a say in their lives, who their leaders are and have open and transparent government? they are not capable of dealing with it, and it is only us in the West and Israel who know what is good for them, after all Hilary told us the Egyptian government is "stable", and we all know American politicians never lie
.But what happens when they don't elect someone you like?of course not why should those darky Muhammedans have democracy, a say in their lives, who their leaders are and have open and transparent government? they are not capable of dealing with it, and it is only us in the West and Israel who know what is good for them, after all Hilary told us the Egyptian government is "stable", and we all know American politicians never lie
