Egypt

Lots of reasons for not blogging recently - mostly trying to finish up a tv pilot. Been reading some on Egypt. I hate the media hysteria surrounding big events like this - there is always an initial wave of "blame" assigned to the US government being caught "flat-footed" on the issue. You have these Monday morning quarterback pundit types who talk as if our government ought to have known these protests were going to erupt. Craziness. The lesson we ought to take away from the past 10 years of US foreign policy is that a lot of what happens in the world is NOT ABOUT US. We are more often an important side-character in these large dramas, but our news media is unable to portray us as anything other than the protagonist. Even 9/11 - which by all means - was a gigantic attack against the United States - is more rooted in an inter-Arab conflict than anything the United States has done to Arab countries.

The events in Egypt are exciting and full of promise. It is inspiring to see people rise up and try to take control of their countries and lives against an autocratic dictator whose time has passed. And it would be foolish not to see how this is connected to democratic reforms in Iraq and Tunisia. However, there is also cause for worry. Gigantic movements like these are often susceptible to clever manipulation by organized and armed groups. In Egypt this can mean the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamicist organizations. Egypt is the birthplace of the Islamicist ideology. Sayeed Qutb is the godfather of Islamicist thought and one of his young disciples was Ayman Zawahiri, Al Queda's number 2. Supposedly it was Zawarhi who got Bin Laden to focus on the "far" enemy (ie, the US), away from the corrupt ruling regimes in the region.

Our "goal" in Egypt should be to see the Egpytians replace their current government with a more democratic and transparent government that is not Islamicist. We ought to do what we can to assure Egypt does not descend into chaos or civil war and at the same time, not allow Mubarack to manipulate the situation and save his skin. The lesson with these thugs is when you get a chance, you need to replace them. You can't err on the side of stability. So I'm arguing at cross purposes...but there is no question...Mubarack needs to go. Then the second question is how to maintain enough stability in order for a functioning, stable government to blossom without empowering Islamicists and other radical organizations. Good luck.