a thread about the civil unrest in egypt (& elsewhere in 'the region' if necessary)

http://progressiverealist.org/blogpost/al-jazeera-spotlight

Al Jazeera is generally hesitant to shine a critical spotlight on states and political organizations that it views as a part of the Islamist "resistance" against Israel. This explains its sympathetic reporting towards Syria, Hamas, and Hezbollah. It also provides some insight into why its coverage of the PA, Fatah, Egypt, and other Western-leaning states tends to be so hostile.

Again, though, the point is the following: that despite the extremely important role that Al Jazeera has played in Tunisia and Egypt, it is not a given that the network will continue to be at the forefront of propelling future protest movements in the region. Al Jazeera has its own editorial line, and it is also restricted by its Qatari patrons. The network was very late in covering the initial demonstrations in Egypt, for example, which some analysts speculate may have been because Mubarak's government cut some sort of deal with Qatari authorities. Or perhaps it was because the Qatari monarchy was worried about its own skin -- that another burgeoning protest movement, so soon after Tunisia, might eventually encourage an uprising back at home. Whatever the case, this is not to say that Al Jazeera won't cover additional uprisings in the Arab world -- the network most certainly will, or it risks losing credibility (not to mention market share.) But it is quite possible that, in countries like Syria or Saudi Arabia, about which the network has historically tended to give more favorable coverage, that its reporting will be much less sympathetic towards the ambitions of the protesters.

i have to admit that nearly as fascinating to me as the events themselves has been the insanity of the right wing in analyzing it. insane in a more confused and self-contradictory way than usual.

here's a pretty good "yup, they went there" roundup from tpm

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/02/right_wing_reacts_to_egypt_protests_obama_is_in_le.php

i hadn't heard some of these

http://gawker.com/5749601/

i have to admit that nearly as fascinating to me as the events themselves has been the insanity of the right wing in analyzing it. insane in a more confused and self-contradictory way than usual.

how so? are they, for instance, reserving the right to take credit for a potentially successful uprising, based on the iraq invasion, but contemporaneously reserving the right to blame democrats if an anti-american dictator rises to power?

oh! messages crossed paths. thanks, max.

love this

Advanced by: Rush Limbaugh
Sample quote: "Well, the same question needs to be asked about Pharaoh Obama. Why didn't the Pharaoh see this coming, particularly given his wonderful relationship with this regimes and their people? Obama went over there, made a speech...even grew a quasi-mustache there for the appropriate facial hair."

WAKE UP, PEOPLE; HE GREW FACIAL HAIR!

The greatest comic genius in history couldn't make some of this up

i'm gonna grow a pseudo-beard in protest

It still just absolutely blows my mind that Limbaugh is broadcast on Armed Forces Network radio.

he is a real american, fight for the rights of every man.

gj max!

this event is really interesting to me in how much "see, bush was right!" is a minority opinion on the right.

no real mystery there. they only wanted to expand democracy to um, gov'ts we don't actually like. whereas Mubarak was a bro/friend of Israel, etc.

This event is really interesting in a lot of ways, but IMHO the reaction of the American right-wing is not one of them.

like, Syria, Iran, yeah let's get rid of 'em! Egypt and Saudi and Jordan, eh not so much.

xp

ugh Suleiman on state TV mouthing total lies is really disgusting

This event is really interesting in a lot of ways, but IMHO the reaction of the American right-wing is not one of them.

― Super Cub, Thursday, February 3, 2011 10:58 AM (7 minutes ago) Bookmark

well, fair enough, but, you can't really talk about egypt w/o talking about america. $billions a year since camp david is part of the story. those are abrams tanks in the streets, you know? plus, i'm in america so this is the environment i'm in.

fascination with a narrow spectrum of showbiz righty-pundits: The Official Hobby of ILE Politics Posters

yeah, i admit to being interested in the reaction across the spectrum of united states political thought.

but i think you have a point -- here, and in general -- that it's in some sense a smug mocking excercise to focus on the reaction of the hard right, or it's silly pundits, or the tea party.

yeah, as i say, dr. m has a point.

This event is really interesting in a lot of ways, but IMHO the reaction of the American right-wing is not one of them.

I don't get this at all. What the right wing in America thinks, however wrongly, is immensely important to Egypt.

pundits only speak if they think there's a constituency for it. do you think general american opinion is any different, morbs?

I'm trying to get my head around various scenarios for how this will play out and I'm kinda stuck between a) Mubarak being strung up by angry mob and b) army cracks down, death toll increases dramatically, Mubarak (or Suleiman) stays in power. If the latter happens, I can't really figure out what the US position will be. If the former happens it's pretty obvious how the US will react (condemn the violence but attempt to deal with whatever interim gov't steps in)

feel like it's very possible now that mubarak will continue to indirectly ramp up the violence in the square until he can plausibly go on tv and tell the general egyptian people that The Protesters' Anarchic Violence Has Forced His Hand and that he's cracking down For The Protection Of The People. i don't know how far the army is out of his pocket at this point but i can see them helping him clear the square in a situation like that. hope not.

this suleiman guy (who is all kinds of interrogating cia-prisoner-rendering creepy) is supposed to give a speech soon. the tone/reception of that--not just by the protesters but by the country--will matter.

yeah I share your suspicions

xp

oh and xp i think the reaction of the Beck/Palin/Corner fringe right is pretty irrelevant here--interesting only as the primal scream therapy it usually is. (not saying i don't indulge.) the maneuvering of the actual american government is much more important, like people have said: all that money.

well, and all that arguably legitimate nat'l interest, too.

well right yeah.

This event is really interesting in a lot of ways, but IMHO the reaction of the American right-wing is not one of them.

I don't get this at all. What the right wing in America thinks, however wrongly, is immensely important to Egypt.

― Le mépris vient de la tête, la haine vient du cœur (Michael White), Thursday, February 3, 2011 5:15 PM (15 minutes ago) Bookmark

fascination with a narrow spectrum of showbiz righty-pundits: The Official Hobby of ILE Politics Posters

― kind of shrill and very self-righteous (Dr Morbius), Thursday, February 3, 2011 5:13 PM (17 minutes ago) Bookmark

I'm not saying the reasoning of the right-wing policy establishment isn't important. Clearly it is. I guess I just don't like belittling the significance of this event by making zings about how stupid Rush Limbaugh is. But I don't want to be a dick about it.

difficult listening hour OTM

andersoncooper. Situation on ground in #egypt very tense. Vehicle I was in attacked. My window smashed. All ok.
1 minute ago

pundits only speak if they think there's a constituency for it.

HOW MANY PEOPLE WATCH FAUX NEWS? 6 MILLION OUT OF 310 M?

http://www.deadline.com/2011/02/fox-news-team-severely-beaten-hospitalized-in-cairo/

this going ham on foreign journalists development is unusual no

brilliant non-answer morbs. as always.

http://ricks.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/02/01/playing_catch_up_ball_5_steps_the_us_should_consider_taking_with_egypt

(via Sullivan)

Given the recent rise in wheat prices, #4 might be very astute.

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/02/egypt-hacked-vodafone-to-send-pro-regime-texts/

!! classy

muslim brotherhood speaks

"We demand that this regime is overthrown, and we demand the formation of a national unity government for all the factions," the Brotherhood said in a statement broadcast by Al Jazeera.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/04/world/middleeast/04brotherhood.html

A. Cooper 10 mins ago:
Situation on ground in #egypt very tense. Vehicle I was in attacked. My window smashed. All ok.

Vodafone was whining about that this morning, iIrc, goole.

any anderson cooper update u guys, totes worried abt our silver fox

is this still going on god hurry up already egypt

my dad, taking exception to a snide comment i made in an email about "the american media" probably only covering "palin's reaction":

Dude, Anderson Cooper, having got beat up in Tahrir Square yesterday spent the night reporting, somehow live, bunkered on the floor of a lowlit appartment in Cairo -In other words giving the gonzo.

so i guess he's doing fine. i too send my heart to him.

that's an interesting article linked in foreign policy. but i'm not so sure about this premise:

Here are five steps Washington should take to expedite the Mubarak regime's inevitable demise

seems like the fate of the mubarak regime isn't "inevitable," either way (unless you're convinced he's sticking to his word about stepping down later this year).

The "five step" approach is SO stupid. "Ten Easy Ways Mubarak Could Book An American Airlines Flight From Cairo."

lol

5) Warn regional governments against intervening in Egypt's domestic politics on the side of the Mubarak regime. Arab dictatorships are invested in Mr. Mubarak's survival, as they fear a democratic wave that could sweep them from power as well. Israel is also worried about the future of its peace treaty with its southern neighbor. Of the two, Arab capitals have a stronger cause for concern.

empty threats aren't worth making. what will we do if a hostile arab nation is found interfering on mubarak's side? invade; bomb?

I do not care what happens to Anderson Cooper one bit

How radical left of you.

invade; bomb?

Surely there are other options like denying them arms or assistance.

The "five step" approach is SO stupid.

It's better than not thinking about various steps at all.