Unfortunately people like Mubarak and Ben Ali have made this situation, they have been ripping the countries off for years while people live in poverty and then of course the people turn to the one they have left religion who uses them and then it all eventually boils over.
When you support dictatorial regimes sooner or later the grip fails and the people revolt, it aint pretty and we’ve seen it all before and who do we have....Obama, the biggest wimp around.
This could set back the middle east decades.
The problem is Islam. It is impossible to have a secular government in the ME that is NOT a harsh dictatorship, because Islam - which is as much a political as a religious system - is always seeking to take it over.
And as for corruption...the Islamic dictatorships are about the most corrupt you can have.
Thank you for that post. You summed it well.
You just can’t keep propping up dictators and expect it not to backfire.
I distinctly remember Dubya trying desperately to get free elections in Egypt and Muburak flipped him the bird.
Further, I’m not at all convinced that the vast bulk of those rioters are necessarily Muslim extremists but I do think the more powerful are. I truly think a lot of those rioters want freedom from this awful Muburak and maybe can’t see the morrow, which might be worse.
I for sure don’t have the answers but really, we are all Americans here. I daresay not a single one of us would have suffered such an awful person as Muburak for now going on three decades, without riotiing ourselves.
I’m still on the side of the Egyptian people because they’re doing what people do once some nasty piece of work has dominated and ruled them for too long.
American propped up the Muburak regime for too long, the Dems didn’t help Bush in throwing him over, and it’s silly to think people are going to put up with this forever. The mileage might vary. Americans might tolerate this for a couple of years, Egyptians take a bit longer. But one person is just NOT going to be in charge of so many people forever.
And the Shah of Iran, as I understand it, was no Mr. Nice Guy either. He’s painted as a “benovolent dictator” but I’ve read he was questionable.
When one person gets too much power they become oblivious to the needs of those they govern. It’s the nature of us.
I know the Shah, and now Muburak, were and will probably be replaced by something worse, but it’s hard as hell for me to champion that awful man to remain in charge.
Although Biden does say Muburak is NOT a dictator and who am I to argue with Biden?
After all, Muburak won by some 96% in the last Egyptian election.
Many middle eastern countries use the same model of controlling the masses.
So we sell a lot of advanced weapons to Saudi and where do they go?