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May 21, 2013
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 Lessons From Our Egypt MomentPosted on Feb 7, 2011In light of the history-shaking events on the streets of Cairo, it’s not surprising that a truly remarkable development slipped through the news cycle with barely a nod. On a unanimous voice vote Thursday, the Senate passed a resolution co-sponsored by John Kerry and John McCain urging Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to hand power over to a caretaker government as part of a peaceful transition to democracy. It’s easy to be cynical about this as mere feel-good politics. The president, not the Senate, executes foreign policy, and declaring a goal is far easier than bringing it about. Yet this should not distract from how American responses to events in Egypt have been as different as one can imagine from our responses to almost every other issue. Note that while Kerry and McCain were doing their bipartisan work, Republicans in Congress and conservative judges were trying to scrap a health care law that was the product of two years of legislative struggle and debate. Yes, there was a teensy bipartisan moment when the Senate agreed to repeal certain IRS reporting requirements in the law that both parties decided were too onerous. But that was an exception to the rule of ideology, partisanship and posturing on health care. Advertisement Similarly, there was large-scale bluster on the budget deficit. Republican House leaders proposed $32 billion in cuts in domestic programs over the next few months. The amount is derisory in light of the size of our country’s long-term fiscal problem. Yet because they are concentrated on a limited pool of domestic programs, these reductions could cause enormous difficulties in the basic operations of government. But as long as conservative ideologues refuse to acknowledge that fiscal balance will require tax increases as well as spending discipline, there can be no rational conversation on how to move forward. What has made the Egypt debate different? Beyond the structural issues, it’s worth noting that Kerry and McCain are both patriots who served their country in war and have built strong personal bonds despite their philosophical differences. Such personal ties are increasingly rare in Congress. And events in Egypt have moved too fast for ideological lines to harden. Both conservatives and liberals are divided between human rights advocates who think the United States should long ago have distanced itself from Mubarak’s regime and realists who worry that a post-Mubarak government might be hostile to American interests. By reflecting both realist and democratic impulses—or, in the eyes of the less charitable, straddling them—the Obama administration has gradually been building a consensus behind the idea that backing Egypt’s democratic forces is the most realistic thing to do, since Mubarak’s days are numbered. That accord was embodied in the Kerry-McCain resolution. There has also been a certain humility in both parties about the meaning of the Egyptian rebellion. There is at least some acceptance of the limits of the United States’ ability to influence events, and also a candid acknowledgement that no one really knows where this uprising will lead. For once, politicians on both sides are being straight with each other and with the country about how a particular situation presents us with a mix of opportunities and dangers. And notice how silent politicians oriented toward the tea party have been about all this. They have nothing to say because their sweeping anti-government ideology—focused more on the America they imagine existed in 1787 than on the world that actually exists in 2011—offers no guidance as to what a global power should do in a circumstance of this sort. (I’d exempt from this critique those libertarians who really are principled noninterventionists, even if I have differences with their view.) Will we learn lessons from all this about the limits of ideology, the value of intellectual humility, and the fact that political choices are hard because the world is neither as simple nor as compliant with our wishes as we would like it to be? What has happened over the last decade gives little ground for such hopes. Our Egypt moment should be a model. It will more likely be an interlude. E.J. Dionne’s e-mail address is ejdionne(at)washpost.com.  TAGS:
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By MarthaA, February 19, 2011 at 8:30 pm Link to this comment
The lesson the Common Populace can take from the Egypt common populace movement is to realize the common populace is the same in the United States as it is in any other country.
The Egypt Movement of the common population’s masses of the public at large has helped to make the common population in the United States aware and the common populace in the United states is becoming aware of their power as the American Common Populace, which denotes no insignificance whatsoever individually, only a class and culture that needs to be realized in the United States, because as individuals there is no way to have equality with the two other classes and cultures, the Corporate Middle Class and Culture that will never grow to more than 20% of the population and the Corporate Elite Capitalist Class and Culture that is only 10% of the entire population.
Here are some definitions of common as in common population:
common:
1. belonging equally to each or all of a group: The airwaves of the United States belong in common with the entire population of the United States. 2. of all; from all; by all; to all; general: common knowledge, 3. united, joined: Science and medicine form a common front against ignorance and disease. 4. belonging to the community at large;public: He sowed a slander in the common ear. A commoncouncil. The common population of Egypt and Wisconsin USA are outraged at the government’s attempting to remove the workers common benefit.
common carrier: A person or business conveying goods or people for pay, offering the service to the public generally, the common population.
common council: the lawmaking group of a city, town, etc.
commoner: one of the public; a person who is not a nobleman.
common land: land that is used and enjoyed by the public and is not restricted to private ownership.
common law: 1. law based on custom and usage, but confirmed by the decisions of judges, as distinct from statute law. 2. the law of all countries whose legal systems derive from English law, as distinct from civil or canon law. 3. law based on the decisions of judges in actual cases; case law.
common market: an association of countries for promoting free trade among its members by eliminating tariffs, duties, and similar restrictions, with a common tariff for external commerce.
common wealth: 1. the group of people who make up a nation; citizens of a state. 2. a democratic state; republic. 3. any one of the states of the United States. 4. a number of people united for a common interest.
Report thisBy MarthaA, February 14, 2011 at 2:43 pm Link to this comment
The lesson the populace of the United States can take from our Egypt moment is that Mubarak and his corrupt administration are no longer in power and were brought down by the majority populace united for real democracy.
Report thisBy drbhelthi, February 9, 2011 at 6:02 am Link to this comment
The biggest scam in world history is revealed by Dr.
Joseph Mercola in his newsletter today. He
interviews Dr. Ron Paul, who reveals that the
“Federal Reserve” has passed out sixteen trillion
dollars in secret, back-door handouts. Sixteen
trillion US dollars. Much of which went to foreign
banks.
The “peoples´ man,” Mr. B. H. Obama of Kenya, doubled
Report thisthe amount after entering the U.S. “presidency.”
Perhaps the Egyptians in the USA should organize a
demonstration similar to the one in Egypt, with
assistance of the genuine Americans in the
CIA/NSA/FBI, instead of permitting the foreign
leadership continue to misuse them.
By Lisa Browne, February 8, 2011 at 10:47 pm Link to this comment
Wasn’t it John McCain who defined the pro-democracy movement as a “virus”? If he and Kerry are promoting Suleiman as interim leader, this is not reform. Sounds more like Czeslaw Milosz’s inflatable elephant.
Report thisBy gerard, February 8, 2011 at 3:34 pm Link to this comment
redteddy: But the experience itself will never be lost. Nor is it (was it) wasted. The lesson for us, perhaps, is that a huge number of very caring people could persist peaceably in the streets for so long. Are Americans that “measured”, that able to unify, that fond of each other, that sensible and self-contained? We have a lot to learn, and it would behoove us to cease pandering to our national superiority complex and get down to the business of reconciliation and political common sense. I hope you agree. How could Dionne speak of “our” Egyptian moment without acknowledging THEIR patient persistence, as compared to ... America’s easy advocacy of violence at the drop of a hat, whether it’s going to war in Afghanistan or selling arms t Israel for 60 years?
Report thisBy samosamo, February 8, 2011 at 2:36 pm Link to this comment
****************
Let me just fill in the missing words in the title. Lessons
LEARNED From THE Egypt Moment.
The samosamo thing about the talk and the walk. American in
Report thisall, can sure talk the way of Egyptians but american can’t walk
like the Egyptians. And in all fairness, so to speak, to the
american people, being lulled into a somnolent public was too
easy for the mainstream media accomplish.
By drbhelthi, February 8, 2011 at 1:42 pm Link to this comment
On the other hand, had he not been a dictator, he
would not have had opportunity to scarf off a few
million here, a few million there, to invest. Also,
we read of guesstimates of his wealth. To experience
a real rise, get an estimate of the wealth of
GHWBushSr. Billy Boy Gates aint nothin. However,
getting a listing of banks that “safeguard” the
stolen fortune may be a genuine task. Few bank
employees are so honest as to snitch on Georgi xxxxxx
whatever names he variously used, be canned and then
commit suicide with outside assistance. Switzerland,
Spain, Austria, Germany, Lichtenstein and off-shore
banks don´t share secrets with each other.
Mubarek is not a naive´ American, knows the inside
ropes of USGOV hegemony/hypocrisy, has his own
intelligence service with access to another that is
somewhat more comprehensive. He is long since aware
that he deals with American (NAZI) and israeli
criminals who have historically “sacrified” their own
folk to make a buck. Like the Twin Towers, a
conjoint undertaking of American NAZIs and israeli
MOSSAD criminals. More recently, the two very fine
Americans of the Jewish faith who were singled out
and sacrified for the love of power. And, to create
a vacancy in a certain Federal District Court, and in
the hope of strengthening the 66-yr-old guilt
associated with the Hitler-NAZI holocaust. Which the
western world has gotten wise to.
The “little nigger boy” set up Christmas Day, 2009,
with the burn-but-not-explode material in his shorts
and the agent in the airliner prepared to jump on him
as soon as the smoke was visible, and the female
agent with the canned speech at the door of the
airliner, are a bit too much to overlook. We can
guess the skin color of the treason-types who set him
up. No doubt his handlers advise him to be his own
defense, which will guarantee that he becomes a
moslem hero, and might lead to acquital due to
procedural failure? However, there seems to be an
increase in the supreme court judge types, whom “the
company” helps forget why their fathers ran away from
the family, and the denigraded life their mammas
managed to exist through, til they crossed over.
Heaven help them.
Report thisBy JDmysticDJ, February 8, 2011 at 12:03 pm Link to this comment
The Guardian U.K:
“President Hosni Mubarak’s family fortune could be as much as $70bn (£43.5bn) according to analysis by Middle East experts, with much of his wealth in British and Swiss banks or tied up in real estate in London, New York, Los Angeles and along expensive tracts of the Red Sea coast.”
If the Guardian’s Middle East experts are anywhere near correct in their estimations, it gives rise to the question, “How did this former Egyptian flyboy become wealthier than Bill Gates?”
Shrewd investments? Just think of how rich he could have become, if he hadn’t wasted his time being a dictator.
(Clearly being a dictator was a good deal for Mubarak, E.J. seems to be equivocating about whether Mubarak’s being a dictator was a good deal for us.)
Report thisBy Mike789, February 8, 2011 at 10:16 am Link to this comment
fearnotruth ~ appreciate the links.
Quite frankly though, the only tactical measure I see in the assessment that would prove advantageous is that of ceasing assets. From the onset of Mubarek’s rise to power, I never liked nor trusted him. He’s a proto=-typical MidEastern autocrat who has drained his country of billions. The sooner his 25-50 billion are frozen, the sooner a transition will occur. I speculate that this may be in the cards and has not been implemented awaiting a clearer grasp of the consequences of the leadership void created. It’s all about the money.
Mubarek’s hanging on is understandable in terms of his desire to keep his nest egg over against the possibility of trials of corruption that may be on the horizon. He’s kind of trapped and may be looking for a deal that shelters him in a forced departure. He assertion that he intends to live out his remaining days (cancer?) is ancillary to preserving the dynastic treasure.
Report thisBy fearnotruth, February 8, 2011 at 2:19 am Link to this comment
RE: ...paranoia here: WHY would the CIA be fomenting a rebellion against Mubarak?
seems I’m duty-bound to reply…
1. first things first: defining the operative term, paranoia, noun: persecution complex, delusion,
obsession, psychosis
2. why is the analysis that the CIA is fomenting a rebellion against Mubarak not an exhibition of
paranoia?
3. a) the analysis in no way exhibits a delusional, obsessive, psychotic, persecution complex - i.e. I don’t
think anyone in the CIA is out to get me, a person about whom the politics of Egypt have nothing to do
b) The Telegraph of London reports that cables reveal the Freedom House plot: http://tinyurl.com/6l2bv72
c) a number of analysts have cited the ‘people-power, color-revolution’ pattern in these riots:
Engdahl: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oddzA_R-zaU
Tarpley: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvI6JqiAZjs
conclusion: Mubarak is not compliant enough, therefore replace him with a more useful puppet
of course civil disagreement and citation of contrary analysis and evidence is always welcome
Report thisBy Inherit The Wind, February 8, 2011 at 12:00 am Link to this comment
To read the paranoia here: WHY would the CIA be fomenting a rebellion against Mubarak? That makes NO FUCKING SENSE AT ALL!
Why would we want to invade Egypt? Think trying to control a nation of 25 million is tough? Egypt has 80 million! Nobody left of Dubya Bush is that dumb (though plenty to his right are).
Report thisBy gerard, February 7, 2011 at 9:14 pm Link to this comment
Consider this sentence for half a minute:
Report this“Both conservatives and liberals are divided between human rights advocates who think the United States should long ago have distanced itself from Mubarak’s regime and realists who worry that a post-Mubarak government might be hostile to American interests”
1. “Both conservatives and liberals are divided between human rights advocates ...and realists….” Means? Some conservatives actually care about human rights while others are more “realistic?”
2. Human rights advocates who think the United States should long ago have distanced itself from Mubarak’s regime means that human rights advocates think distancing would improve human rights?
3.Means the United States is seriously concerned about human rights in Egypt?
4. Means that it’s “realistic” to think that a post-Mubarak regime should not be hostile to American interests?
5. Means human rights are hostile to American interests?
6. A post-Mubarak regime might be so “liberal” it would be hostile to liberal American interests such as human rights?)
Come again!
By sophrosyne, February 7, 2011 at 4:08 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Dionne, in his march to the right, seems less and less capable and more and more clueless. Odd that NPR uses him as a spokesperson for the left against Brooks. What a total joke.
Report thisBy drbhelthi, February 7, 2011 at 4:02 pm Link to this comment
O.K. Which branch of USGov told the pentagon to send warships to the area, in case they are needed to “evacuate” US personnel? And who told the marines to send a few companies to assist to evacuate personnel, “if needed”?
If US personnel are so insecure, why not fly them out of the area on commercial airlines, as other nations have done and continue to do?
Warships? Marines? What´s the real plan, cuz ?
Report thisBy gerard, February 7, 2011 at 3:45 pm Link to this comment
Motivation is all. Quite likely our restraint is due not to honest humility and acknowledgement of the fact that we don’t know much about Egypt and have no right to dictate their politics. Our restraint is due to not being clear about how to take advantage of the situation. Sorry to have to say this, but the empirical (“America First”)attitudes inate at every level of American society make humility and a sincere desire to understand others almost impossible to imagine, let alone achieve in some consensus
Report thisBy AT, February 7, 2011 at 1:14 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
the looting at BELL,Ca brought on a real crisis in
Report thistrust in government.by and large, the citizens at BELL
trust that gov,. always did the right thing in
protecting public interest.This scandal might have
damaged that
By redteddy, February 7, 2011 at 12:31 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
After reading Al Jazeera today I’m convinced that the peaceful demonstration in
Report thisEgypt will fail to have Mubarak and his regime ousted ‘right now’ as they have
demanded. The movement is losing momentum as time drags on and they are
now isolating the protestors so they can bring back normalcy. Banks opened
for three hours and people were saying “Yes we want the protestors ‘over there’
not here.” Soon there will be those who will propose that its reasonable to wait
a few months for Mubarak to leave, soon those who were not on the street will
resent the lack of daily services and blame this on the protestors, soon the
movement will tire of standing ground in their tents as it becomes more
difficult to sustain. Peaceful protest has its limitations and we now see that. If
they couldn’t show enough force to get Mubarak out within the first week then
its unlikely they will be able to sustain or garner even more force in the weeks
ahead. As usual power had the upper hand, the protestors were reasonable,
hopeful & fired up but peaceful. The government used force and frightened
those with violence and now they will wait until degrading conditions disperse
the others. The moment the military did not take away power out of Mubarak’s
hands the mission was undermined if not lost.
By AnnaCatherine, February 7, 2011 at 11:15 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
The author is right about alot of things. McCain and Kerry should be able to work well together, then disagree on something the next day and still remain civilised. Our new wave politicians see themselves with a very good paying job and extraordinary benefits for life. They do not see themselves as a part of the whole. Rather, they work independently. They are seldom together. The fine art of debate is dead. They are lacking the proper skills and are seldom together. The Republicans are not good at governing. Their goal is to get control and keep it. They expect obedience and most present themselves as authority figures. Most elected officials are so far out of touch with real life that they are unable to analyze what Americans live with everyday. Both the good and the bad. They attempt to run the country in some remote distant manner. It isn’t working. Theirs is a ‘hands on’ job. But no one holds them to it. Yet the money keeps rolling in. In a word, most of them are a disgrace. Quite frankly, I don’t care who sits next to whom. I’m not impresssed. We are over-paying a bunch of under achievers.
Report thisBy SarcastiCanuck, February 7, 2011 at 11:04 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Egyptians are now calling Obama the Black Bush,do you think they actually give a damn what Kerry and McCain have to say.Reality check Mr.Dionne,Arabs don’t trust America anymore.Wonder why?
Report thisBy BarbieQue, February 7, 2011 at 6:47 am Link to this comment
Lets play two can play EJ!
YES the title is redundant, much like our pal EJ Dionne Jr.
You can play the same game the hoity toity shoe shined crowd at the Washington Compost play…
Right in front of your computer and in your bathrobe!
For Free!
Here’s how:
Take a sentence like this one our pal wrote:
“Yes, there was a teensy bipartisan moment when the Senate agreed to repeal certain IRS reporting requirements in the law that both parties decided were too onerous.”
put it through the Magical Dionne Truth And Bullsh*t Blending Contraption…
and Voila~
EJ ADMITS HEALTH BILL FLAWED! Apologies to follow!
Report thisBy for now EJ. Love you! Mean it!
By RayLan, February 7, 2011 at 6:29 am Link to this comment
The US has its usual bargaining chips in the form of military aid - It could bring serious pressure to bear on the military - it could determine a positive outcome by putting its money where its mouth is - but now its all worried about undue interference - ahem - it’s already knee deep in interference - since when is the US government so sensitive to ethical protocol? (see Irag or East Timor) What a joke.
Report thisBy sonia.mike, February 7, 2011 at 5:57 am Link to this comment
in these day Egypt is very serious conditions.
people are angry about the president.let see what happen?
Shemaghs
Report thisBy fearnotruth, February 7, 2011 at 5:11 am Link to this comment
that the US Senate even troubled (considering its chockablock schedule) to consider a
resolution to influence a sovereign foreign state says all that need be said - that they all
know the CIA is instrumental in fomenting the chaos, and is planning to install the new
regime, makes it evermore cynical - and, implicates Dionne Jr. fully in the deceit, for
writing this up as something of a ‘watershed’ - very likely a rich asset… possibly a useful
tool - probably not a ‘fool’ - Beck/Rhodes/Limbaugh/Schultz territory
2 things to never forget:
1. “Deception is a state of mind and the mind of the state.” - James Jesus Angelton -
Director of CIA Counter Intelligence (1954-74)
2. “The Central Intelligence Agency owns everyone of any significance in the major media.”
Report this- William Colby - Director of the CIA (1973-76)
By MarthaA, February 7, 2011 at 2:45 am Link to this comment
It’s time for the United States to have an Egypt Movement, otherwise there will never be a Cost of Living Allowance for the populace no matter how high the prices rise in the Conservative Ruling Class’ on going Reaganomic Supply Side Bubble.
Report this