Posted on 02/11/2011 8:51:00 AM PST by pissant
On whether the United States should have been giving foreign aid to President Mubarak: “Over 30 years of standing by Mubarak’s side and he essentially standing with America on a lot of our interests it makes sense that we have a reciprocal relationship but no it is not moral or ethical. We are watching Mubarak and realizing the billions of dollars that have been spent, he’s become rich, a lot of the dictatorship has personally benefited. So where do those funds end up? We need to pull back on those countries where the money isn't doing any good."
(Excerpt) Read more at thepage.time.com ...
What many Americans are forgetting is that many middle eastern countries do not understand democracy. They’ve always had a dictator and torture is accepted. True torture, not the panties on head kind that we use.
That's an oversimplification. Sure, it kept Mubarak personally at bay, but Egypt continued on a lot of negative paths that made conflict possible. Their textbooks, their state run media, their news, still laden with anti-Israeli or US sentiments.
Mubarak could have spent those 30 years and our billions to modernize his economy and liberalize the country. Instead, he and his buddies got rich for decades, by waving the eternal threat of Islamic extremists at us. It's a great self perpetuating problem, but they wound up exporting a lot of that craziness to get rid of it. Practicality has it's place in desperate times.
As an ally against the Soviets and to keep peace with Israel, sure, we had to turn a blind eye to certain things. But we let 'practicality' run its course a long time ago.
What she said was fine.
Boeing, General Dynamics, Raytheon, Lockheed, Kimberly Clark (can you imagine what they have for toilet paper in that hell-hole?)
So Sarah Palin doesn’t think keeping the Suez Canal open, NOT attacking Israel, and keeping the muslim brotherhood in check is not something good?
I repeat........she’s uninformed or she’s PJB at heart.
“He’s a bastard, but he’s our bastard” has never been, is not, and never will be a perfectly satisfactory argument. I have a feeling the entire field would agree.
I\had the same problem. What was said here? LOL
It probably wasn’t moral or ethical to stand behind the Shah either, but is Iran a better place for his being gone? Sometimes there are no really good options and you have to choose the bad option that’s best for America. For decades that option was Mubarak. If Iran gains influence in Egypt the whole of the Middle East is up for grabs. Toss in Turkey and you’ve got the potential to destabilize Europe. Mubarak was not a “good” man, but we may all (Egyptians in particular) end up wishing he was back.
As an ally against the Soviets and to keep peace with Israel, sure, we had to turn a blind eye to certain things. But we let ‘practicality’ run its course a long time ago.
Oh yeah, well wait till you see what comes next in Egypt. It may make Mubarak smell like a rose. We will see.
Until the rioting started Egypt did not have any troops in the Sinai Peninsula. Egypt was also one of only two Arab countries that had a peace treaty with Israel. Mubarak often acted as a go between in Arab - Israeli talks. That's what our money bought.
Mubarak was a bastard, but he was our bastard.
Did you read what she said? Obviously you are just looking for a reason to criticize her.
Either you are uninformed or you have PDS.
She is making sense. She is saying it is has been necessary to supply funds, but Mubarak has beceome rich off those funds too...not a good thing.
Although I believe it's wise to give money to these nations we are trying to support (if we don't do it, Russia will), we need to re-evaluate and pull back funding if it's not accomplishing anything.
So what exactly is wrong with what she said?
What are you talking about? She said the relationship was necessary. Just not ethical. Duh.
Really Palin? So why didn’t you say THAT during your presidential campaign?
I hope she organizes a three week sit in in Washington DC in the hope that we can get Obama Hussein Obama to also step down.
And don't ask why she sneezed! She's a private citizen and does NOT have to answer!
She is right, in a perfect world. But she’ll come around right after her first Presidential security briefing. Hell, even Obama did that. Hence Guantanamo and Iraq.
“She’s dead bang on right. Only morons would consider her ‘confused’ as President George Waahington said almost exactly the same thing over 200 years ago.”
Our forefathers functioned on reason; our forefathers were not a bunch of unreasonable, irrational, Muzzies whose religion preaches warfare as a means to an end.
Mubarak protected both our interests, the security of Israel and world trade through the Suez Canal. There is no evidence any other regime would have been any other alternative regime would have been any more democratic over the past 30 years.
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