More than 525 people – including at least three journalists – have been killed in Egypt as the nation remains locked in a bitter power struggle between military leaders and Muslim extremists. And those are official government figures – the real numbers could be much higher.
Not up for debate is the fact hundreds have died and thousands more have been injured in the rapidly escalating violence – which has been fomenting for weeks ever since the nation’s radical Islamist president was ousted.
Last month, Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi was overthrown by a military coup – two years after the so-called “Arab Spring” toppled his successor, former president Hosni Mubarak. In response, members of the Muslim Brotherhood have been staging protests – which they plan on ramping up in response to the bloodshed.
“We have no option but to continue,” one Brotherhood leader told Bloomberg.
U.S. President Barack Obama – who promised a “new beginning” in Egypt during a 2009 trip to Cairo – worked to undermine Mubarek’s rule and supported Morsi’s ascension to power.
Obama was briefed Wednesday on the deteriorating situation in Egypt but said nothing – choosing instead to return to his golf game.
“Obama might as well play golf,” neoconservative columnist Jennifer Rubin wrote for The Washington Post. “He’s dropped the ball on Egypt and the entire region, leaving the United States with few options and the Egyptian people to a bloody future in the short run and a repressive authoritarian junta in the longer run. This is a policy failure of the highest order.”
We agree … although we believe the broader failure was getting involved in the first place.
At last count, American taxpayers are sending $1.3 billion in military aid annually to Egypt – even though U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry recently said America “is not satisfied with the extent of Egypt’s progress and are pressing for a more inclusive democratic process and the strengthening of key democratic institutions.”
This week Kerry referred to the military crackdown as “deplorable,” while other officials hinted that America may cancel planned military exercises with Egypt’s government scheduled for next month.
Really?
It is frankly none of America’s business whether Egypt has a “democratic process” in place – or whether said process is “inclusive” or not. Those are Egypt’s concerns, and should be left to Egypt to decide.
And while it is depressing to watch hundreds of people dying in the streets (no matter what their ideological allegiance), if that is how Egypt wants to settle its power struggle – so be it.
Obama has already intervened once in Egyptian affairs – with disastrous results. He should keep our nation out of this struggle. Furthermore, we maintain that all foreign aid to any country – military or humanitarian – is not a core function of government.
America’s government cannot afford to pay its own bills, let alone those of hundreds of other nations …
48 comments
“We need to put boots on the ground and give these people democracy.”
– Lindsay Graham. (Or John McCain. Or George W. Bush. Feel free to choose one or nominate your own).
Miss Lindsay, let’s repeat the CIA led coup in 1950 Iran and see if we get a different result? Did someone give this boy a set of GI Joe dolls instead of a Barbie?
We had 30 years of peace under the Shah is the “result” we got.
Bahhhhaaa, really? CIA operations gave rise to the whole rise of fundamental Islam and regional strife. When were you in Iran during the Shah’s regime to watch the operation of the CIA and Savak? Miss Lindsay is dangerous, Her BFF is just boxed crazy.
I said we, didn’t say anything about Iranians – I said “we” as in US(A). I know a few Iranians who lived under the Shah, he was brutal to his opposition – that said, he wasn’t supporting Syria or the PLO or trying to build ICBMs or nukes
We have managed to turn billions of people into enemies by forcing an unwanted Goose Creek lifestyle on a population that had no interest and demonstrating that whatever the USA wants will be forcibly taken. Seems like a successful ploy. Not — 30 years of strife in the area proves that. Miss Lindsay her boxed BFF simply like to play with soldiers.
“We need to put boots on the ground and give these people democracy.”
– Lindsay Graham. (Or John McCain. Or George W. Bush. Feel free to choose one or nominate your own).
Miss Lindsay, let’s repeat the CIA led coup in 1950 Iran and see if we get a different result? Did someone give this boy a set of GI Joe dolls instead of a Barbie?
We had 30 years of peace under the Shah is the “result” we got.
Bahhhhaaa, really? CIA operations gave rise to the whole rise of fundamental Islam and regional strife. When were you in Iran during the Shah’s regime to watch the operation of the CIA and Savak? Miss Lindsay is dangerous, Her BFF is just boxed crazy.
I said we, didn’t say anything about Iranians – I said “we” as in US(A). I know a few Iranians who lived under the Shah, he was brutal to his opposition – that said, he wasn’t supporting Syria or the PLO or trying to build ICBMs or nukes
We have managed to turn billions of people into enemies by forcing an unwanted Goose Creek lifestyle on a population that had no interest and demonstrating that whatever the USA wants will be forcibly taken. Seems like a successful ploy. Not — 30 years of strife in the area proves that. Miss Lindsay her boxed BFF simply like to play with soldiers.
Bloody images from Cairo
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/2013/08/2013814142336191647.html
Bloody images from Cairo
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/2013/08/2013814142336191647.html
It’s been very interesting to hear the difference in tone over here versus what the mainstream media at home is reporting. Al Jazeera, BBC and most of the English
versions of the news here are reporting this fairly bias free. Much blame is being laid (rightly) on the “good guys” of the “Arab Spring”, the Muslim Brotherhood.
The MB are a bunch of Sharia law thugs who are using peaceful demonstrators as cover to instigate the Military into over playing their hand. So far (for a Middle Eastern country) the militaryt has responded with some restraint – if this goes on much longer it
may wind up looking much worse than the ’52-’56 Military Revolution (the Muslim Brotherhood had a hand in that one too – they were outlawed in ’54). Sadat came to power out of that revolution and while he and his predecessors ruled with an iron fist, it generally was wrapped in a velvet glove and the region was generally peaceful.
Should the US cut off all funding to the military, we will lose what little influence we have. Congress won’t do it anyway because all that funding comes in the form of credits to purchase US weapons and equipment – in other words, just another form of pork.
I frankly no longer care what happens to most of these idiots, as long as I’m left with a way to get out of here when the time comes.
Until the USA learns its world history and realizes that the rest of the world does not want the same solutions as Goose Creek, we will continue repeating the same mistakes. Islam is going through the same intellectual re-evaluations (playing out in politics, ethnic power-plays and uprisings) that the West did during the Reformation. To expect these struggles to play out differently in the Mideast in the 21st century when the same struggle followed the same path in the 14th century West is naïve at best. But lets all chant: USA, USA USA …
Democracy won’t work there just as it really won’t work in Russia. There is something in he nature of Middle Easterners that makes them want to subjugate or be subjugated.
And pray tell, how long has democracy worked in Western Europe under the umbrella of Judeo-Christian tradtion? Oh right…
France – 230 years
England – depending on your perspective 210-800 years
Germany – 60 Years
Switzerland – 160 years
Finland – 90 years
Sweden – more or less since the 14th century, Vikings elected their leaders
Facts are pernicious:
France — monarchy, reign of terror ….
England — monarchy, civil war, monarchy
Germany — dukes, principalities and monarchy, Hitler
Finland — Tsar
Sweden — monarchy
Very few democracies in their history. Just love that South Carolina ed-u-ma-ka-shun.
Yeah – lots of Hitlers running around Germany in the last 60 years and if I recall correctly, the “Reign of Terror” ended in 1794.
History is history but that was not the question at hand. The question was how well has democracy worked out in Western Europe and the answer as I’ve illustrated is “pretty well”.
As of August 1st Reuters reported an investigation into neo-Nazi activity at a seminary in Bavaria (Germany) has resulted in two student priests being expelled for the Nazi salute and making jokes about death camps.
Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose. Ed-u-ma-ka-shun is a terrible thing to waste, except now its a happy day in SC.
I guess the neo-Nazis running around out in Hayden Lake, ID make the US a Nazi country then? We’re speaking about political systems, not dipshits acting stupid.
Vos es stultus.
We are talking about your broad over-generalizations about the motivations of multiple ethnic and religious peoples in a whole geographic area. Western democracy good. Mideast are bad terrorists. Miss Lindsay diddles colonels. SC Ed-u-ma-ka-shun is good, but if you try to use a Latin phrase, better use proper grammar: ‘Vos stultus es.’
I think you missed the Gamal Nasser era prior to Sadat.
No, what I said was that the revolution brought Sadat to power. Sadat allowed the Egyptian political system to become something almost approaching a modern democracy, with far more political freedom that Nasser allowed. (Nasser was the first post revolution leader of any import after Farouk abdicated but he was a bit of a dictator). Sadat was assassinated for his “moderate” beliefs and actions – one of the key actors in that assassination was none other than Ayman Mohammed Rabie al-Zawahiri – current commander of Al Qaida
… and the Muslim Brotherhood began as a reaction to the CIA operations in IRAN to overthrow a democratically elected prime minister and his government while putting into place a monarchy. As Miss Lindsay and her BFF say, lets play with moar soldiers.
Hardly,
the Muslim Brotherhood predates the CIA by at least 25 years – my Latin grammar may suck but your grasp of history is nonexistent
You’re a riot. There was no CIA (or intelligence) before 1947? And the CIA actions didn’t radicalize the Muslim Brotherhood post Iran overthrow? Keep it up. Ed-u-ma-ka-shun is shining in South Carolina today.
It’s been very interesting to hear the difference in tone over here versus what the mainstream media at home is reporting. Al Jazeera, BBC and most of the English
versions of the news here are reporting this fairly bias free. Much blame is being laid (rightly) on the “good guys” of the “Arab Spring”, the Muslim Brotherhood.
The MB are a bunch of Sharia law thugs who are using peaceful demonstrators as cover to instigate the Military into over playing their hand. So far (for a Middle Eastern country) the military has responded with restraint – if this goes on much longer it
may wind up looking much worse than the ’52-’56 Military Revolution (the Muslim Brotherhood had a hand in that one too – they were outlawed in ’54). Sadat came to power out of that revolution and while he and his predecessors ruled with an iron fist, it generally was wrapped in a velvet glove and the region was generally peaceful.
Should the US cut off all funding to the military, we will lose what little influence we have. Congress won’t do it anyway because all that funding comes in the form of credits to purchase US weapons and equipment – in other words, just another form of pork.
I frankly no longer care what happens to most of these idiots, as long as I’m left with a way to get out of here when the time comes.
Until the USA learns its world history and realizes that the rest of the world does not want the same solutions as Goose Creek, we will continue repeating the same mistakes. Islam is going through the same intellectual re-evaluations (playing out in politics, ethnic power-plays and uprisings) that the West did during the Reformation. To expect these struggles to play out differently in the Mideast in the 21st century when the same struggle followed the same path in the 14th century West is naïve at best. But lets all chant: USA, USA USA …
Democracy won’t work there just as it really won’t work in Russia. There is something in he nature of Middle Easterners that makes them want to subjugate or be subjugated.
And pray tell, how long has democracy worked in Western Europe under the umbrella of Judeo-Christian tradtion? Oh right…
France – 213 years
England – depending on your perspective 210-800 years
Germany – 60 Years
Switzerland – 160 years
Finland – 90 years
Sweden – more or less since the 14th century, Vikings elected their leaders
Facts are pernicious:
France — monarchy, reign of terror ….
England — monarchy, civil war, monarchy
Germany — dukes, principalities and monarchy, Hitler
Finland — Tsar
Sweden — monarchy
Very few democracies in their history. Just love that South Carolina ed-u-ma-ka-shun.
Yeah – lots of Hitlers running around Germany in the last 60 years and if I recall correctly, the “Reign of Terror” ended in 1794. The last Finnish Tsar was 1899 I think.
History is history but that was not the question at hand. The question was how well has democracy worked out in Western Europe and the answer as I’ve illustrated is “pretty well”.
As of August 1st Reuters reported an investigation into neo-Nazi activity at a seminary in Bavaria (Germany) has resulted in two student priests being expelled for the Nazi salute and making jokes about death camps.
Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose. Ed-u-ma-ka-shun is a terrible thing to waste, except now its a happy day in SC.
I guess the neo-Nazis running around out in Hayden Lake, ID make the US a Nazi country then? We’re speaking about political systems, not dipshits acting stupid – did you miss the fact that the Government and the populace rejected the behavior?
Vos es stultus.
We are talking about your broad over-generalizations about the motivations of multiple ethnic and religious peoples in a whole geographic area. Western democracy good. Mideast are bad terrorists. Miss Lindsay diddles colonels. SC Ed-u-ma-ka-shun is good, but if you try to use a Latin phrase, better use proper grammar: ‘Vos stultus es.’
I think you missed the Gamal Nasser era prior to Sadat.
No, what I said was that the revolution brought Sadat to power. Sadat allowed the Egyptian political system to become something almost approaching a modern democracy, with far more political freedom that Nasser allowed. (Nasser was the first post revolution leader of any import after Farouk abdicated but he was a bit of a dictator). Sadat was assassinated for his “moderate” beliefs and actions – one of the key actors in that assassination was none other than Ayman Mohammed Rabie al-Zawahiri – current commander of Al Qaida and member of – you guessed it, the Muslim Brotherhood.
… and the Muslim Brotherhood began as a reaction to the CIA operations in IRAN to overthrow a democratically elected prime minister and his government while putting into place a monarchy. As Miss Lindsay and her BFF say, lets play with moar soldiers.
Hardly, the Muslim Brotherhood predates the CIA by at least 20 years – my Latin grammar may suck but your grasp of history is nonexistent. The Muslim Brotherhood was banned in Egypt in 1954 for a series of bombings and assassination attempts. By late ’47 when the CIA was actually formed the “Brotherhood” had half a million members.
You’re a riot. There was no CIA (or intelligence) before 1947? And the CIA actions didn’t radicalize the Muslim Brotherhood post Iran overthrow? Finally: http://thehill.com/blogs/global-affairs/middle-east-north-africa/317613-at-long-last-cia-admits-role-in-iran-coup
Keep it up. Ed-u-ma-ka-shun is shining in South Carolina today.
525 down, about a billion to go.
525 down, about a billion to go.
U.S. President Barack Obama – who promised a “new beginning”… NAILED IT!
U.S. President Barack Obama – who promised a “new beginning”… NAILED IT!