Perhaps but these things have a momentum all their own.
Tunisia - Egypt - Yemen - Jordan - Saudi
BINGO!
Muburak was selfish and ruthless. Egypt’s got poverty pockets that are shameful given American aid and it’s status as a top world tourist attraction.
I don’t like the Saudis, sons of camels the whole bunch of them, but they do keep the populace mostly content, they don’t really mistreat the populace save for the gnatty Religious Police.
Course the House of Saud is a whole bunch of interbred idiots and they have to watch their backs. But you won’t likely see the Saudi citizens out and rioting for the total dissatisfaction of the citizenry.
You get the Shah and Muburak and Saddam....damn, the human beings aren’t going to like this.
Of course nobody wants the extreme MB to take over but come on, if we’ve learned anything isn’t it to STOP coddling these dictators, make them fly right or get them overthrown?
Again, I believe America probably had plenty of chances to make this happen but the leaders in power didn’t want to be bothered. I do know that Dubya tried to get Muburak to toe the line but Muburak flipped him the bird.
Going forward, whatever happens in Egypt, America has GOT to stop taking the easy way, kicking the can down the road.
Coddling “benevolent” (as if there is such a thing) dictators ain’t the answer.