In Congress, GOP backs Obama's Egypt stance, Dems not so much

[teamnelson]

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Foreign-Policy/2011/0201/In-Congress-GOP-backs-Obama-s-Egypt-stance-Dems-not-so-much

Heard this on the radio on the way into work, and thought it was interesting. GOP is backing Obama's support to Hosni Mubarak, and his hope to stay in control of Egypt. Israel is also siding with Hosni. Meanwhile the Democrats are opposing Obama's policy, and in stead supporting ... the Islamic Brotherhood? Hmm.

Lebanon, Tunisia, Egypt, now Jordan ... want to start a pool on who's next?

[HogFan]

Yemen, has already been having protests, just not as widely reported.

[teamnelson]

If you roll back the chronology a bit, you'll notice that attacks on Christians preceded these demonstrations by months. You'll notice that rank and file muslims came to defend their Christian neighbors, and called for the government to do a better job against Islamic extremists. Then the radical end of the Islamic population fomented revolts and violence. The energy is coming from Islamic extremism, and there are hangers on joining in the party. Makes me wonder if someone identified a center of gravity, and took a minimalist approach to start a chain reaction. The endstate appears to be change of existing government, but for what purpose is still uncertain.

That said, I don't believe you've got the right suspect list, TM7. The very fact that you have a list of names contradicts the likelihood of their culpability because things like this, if its what you suggest, are always done in a manner to ensure that no one (including the watchful) knows who dunnit.

[teamnelson]

If Mubarak falls, a lot goes with him, which is why Obama (under some good advisement evidently) the GOP and Israel are hitching their wagon to him. Its about balance, and maintaining it. You mention Iran as a balance to Israel ... perhaps, but at least you see the need for balance. I think the Dems are myopic in their stance, and missing the forest for the tree. And I think Iran isn't really interested in stability either. If Egypt falls, the balance will go with it, and that's a nightmare none of us want as its effecting even the stable moderate Islamic countries in the region.

It will effect the US, it will effect the 2012 election, the economy, the military, societies concerns over Islam, etc. Never mind the potential for lives lost. I think I'm agreeing with Friedman here that the choice will be the Republic or the World, and I would chose the Republic first.