The Middle East Tinderbox is one step closer to a full blown explosion and eventual global conflagration.
Egypt is on fire. People are protesting in the streets as Hosni Mubarak sees his 30 year power reign shakier than ever. Egyptians are fighting for freedom, as people all across the globe will eventually be forced to accept what American conservatives have known for several years.
George W. Bush was right.
He still is, righter than ever.
Bush-haters will continue their trend of ignoring facts and evidence. The rest of us know that the events in Egypt are a direct result of his presidency.
In the 1980s, Ronald Reagan called the Soviet Union an “Evil Empire.” His vision for human freedom and liberty led to the collapse of the Soviet Union and freedom for all of Eastern Europe. The dominoes rapidly fell, and in 1991 the Berlin Wall came crashing down. The left gave the credit to Mikhail Gorbachev. The newly freed citizens of Eastern Europe credited Ronald Reagan. I will go with the former captives trapped for real, not those enslaved in ivory towers of their own choosing.
Despite these tremendous events, American foreign policy became a hostage to a terrible soulless policy known as “Realpolitik.” This (lack of) vision preferred “stability” over freedom and liberty. Bloodthirsty dictators were fine so long as they were “our” dictators.
After 9/11, President George W. Bush abolished Realpolitik in favor of the Bush Doctrine, which involved advancing the causes of freedom and liberty worldwide. George W. Bush understood that freedom is a universal human right, and that liberty is a gift from God. No creature of God deserved to be enslaved by another.
With the Bush Doctrine and the Neocons guiding foreign policy, the world changed for the better. The Taliban was overthrown and a functioning secular democracy was set up in Afghanistan. In 2003 America ended the brutal regime of Saddam Hussein. Iraq set up a functional democracy that became their most functional civilization since Mesopotamia.
The left spent every waking minute engaging in everything from declaring defeat to openly wishing for failure to outright sabotage. They opposed democracy in Iraq solely due to hatred of George W. Bush. They were prepared to lose a war to avoid losing elections. The voters in 2004 repudiated the left and reelected President Bush.
Leftist critics complained that things were getting worse. The Jayson Blair Times declared the Iraq war a failure after 18 days. It took America 13 years to get from the Revolutionary War to our current Constitution, but George Washington did not have MSNBC savaging him or the Jayson Blair Times revealing secret American troop movements.
Neocons understood in 2004 that the very factors making 1989 about more than the USSR would make the War on Terror more than just Afghanistan.
Freddie Mercury was not a Neocon, but Queen wrote one of their biggest hits about the struggle for liberty.
“Ain’t much I’m asking…if you want the truth…here’s to the future…hear the cry of youth…I want it all…I want it all…I want it all…and I want it now!”
With Afghanistan and Iraq tasting freedom, Moammar Khadafi of Libya voluntarily gave up his weapons programs. The left insisted this was due to twenty years of diplomacy even as Khadafi himself conceded that the handwriting on the wall from George W. Bush turned him into a pragmatic survivalist.
2010 has seen even more upheaval. Last week Tunisia had a revolution, and now Egypt has exploded. There are also rumblings in Jordan.
While all of this is happening, Barack Obama is locked in the White House hoping the situation calms down. Worldwide events are a distraction from his domestic agenda, and he is frustrated that he cannot lecture the Middle East players to make nice. Anyone looking for proof at how lost and dazed he is about these events need only to look at who has returned on the scene. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was taken out of the closet, dusted off, and given a microphone. Her job requires meaningless blather, and her lifetime of skill in this area prepared her. The actions of the bad guys are “unhelpful.” She wants to make things “perfectly clear,” which means nobody is listening to her.
This is a time when a president needs to lead. It is one thing for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel to stay on silent lockdown. This is smart. Yet for the leader of the free world to be waiting to see who wins before choosing sides is gutless.
Ronald Reagan was not ambiguous regarding the Evil Empire. George W. Bush was not ambiguous with the Axis of Evil. One can be ambiguous when trying to straddle domestic policy initiatives. Trying to triangulate life and death matters of war and peace is simply a lack of leadership.
As we approach Ronald Reagan’s 100th birthday, many people will wax poetic about what he would do regarding Egypt. This is appropriate, but one need only go back to George W. Bush to know what to do.
Mubarak is on the ropes. He must be quietly forced out. America must ensure that the Muslim Brotherhood not take over Egypt. The people want a secular democracy. They see Iraq and Afghanistan and know that democracy and Arab culture are compatible.
Jimmy Carter failed to show strength and leadership in 1979. His weakness led to the Mullahs taking over Iran and Americans being taken hostage. Strength by Reagan brought them home.
Now the people of Egypt are begging for America to stand up. Barack Obama came to Cairo and pledged American support. Now that support is needed more than ever.
Will Barack Obama do the right thing, or was his initial trip to Egypt just empty words?
Will he stand up for freedom or just let Egypt slide into chaos, and perhaps into an Islamic Republic like Iran?
Mr. Obama knows that if he does the right thing, he will not get the credit. If he intervenes and things go badly, he will get the blame.
Yet political calculations cannot and must not ever be a substitute for doing the right thing.
President Obama is not terrified of what is happening in Egypt. He is leaving those worries to innocent people everywhere.
A decade ago the left hated George W. Bush more than Saddam Hussein. This nearly ripped America asunder. Now the left needs to decide if they hate a murderous regime in Egypt more than they hate the legacy of George W. Bush being vindicated.
Mr. Obama knows that if Egypt does become a democracy, more evidence will mount that even he would not be able to ignore. He will have to clench his teeth and spit blood saying it, but it will be true.
George W. Bush was right.
eric
Oh now, c’mon! George W. Bush has as much to do with the happenings in Egypt as George Micheal. And no, Ronald Reagan did not end the Soviet Union. I mean, really, this is just silliness. And the “Left” is certainly not stupid enough to believe any such simplistic description of these events as you describe.
Egypt was already having serious problems with poverty and unemployment, and the recession hit them particularly hard. The only way you could say Bush had anything to do with this is that he was party to the reckless lack of governance that brought about this terrible recession. The people of Egypt want more opportunity and they see the establishment there as holding them back. They don’t want a theocracy, the majority is relatively secular, and the military would never allow it.
There isn’t much Obama can do. It’s a complex situation. Just opening his yap isn’t going to accomplish much of anything. This is just another frivolous attack on Obama for the sake of attacking Obama.
JMJ
Update: Chris Matthews of MSNBC has blamed the violence in Egypt on George W. Bush. Sounds good to me!
You’re welcome Mr. Matthews.
eric :)
“There isn’t much Obama can do.”
Does that mean he wont be taking or given credit if things work out for the better ?
Bush and Condi planted this seed in their middle east speechs.
Obama had the Muslim brotherhood up front and center in his Cairo speech.
Kinda makes one wonder
People can disagree, and I do on this one.
Some dictatorships are good, for the people and for the neighborhood.
Egypt’s form of goernment is good. Iran is bad. Russia is, well, in between. I wont mention Venezuela.
Democracy is not always the perfect solution. Hamas rule in Hamastan
(Gaza Strip) is very, very bad. They were voted in by the people remember, after tossing a few people off of buildings.
Fatah, on the West Bank, is a mini-dictatorship, but does have
a parliament (Hanan Ashrawiis a member: remember her antics
at a meeting with Israeli delegates several years ago?
Lets be honest, we need oil more than we need democracy in
Arab countries. For my part, the US interests would be better served
if we sent a few marine divisions into Saudi Arabia, the prime example
of a dictaorship this is good for some, bad for others. Its a rich country
thanks to where G-d placed all that oil.
Russia is still a dictatorship..albeit more mild and tolerant.
What brought down the old system was good old fashioned religion,
not Reagan or its leader. The Pope was just too strong an influence.
Instead of destroying East Germany, it allowed it to exist, a 300lb
guerrilla. ( 25m Soviets were murdered during WW2, many by
E. Germans).
For all its negative, Egypt has been in the US camp since the 73 War with Israel. Again, as in 1967, a bunch of Israeli farming youth, kicked the you know what out of their 2nd and 3rd armies..and were at the gates of
Cairo, until called back. The 2nd army was within a mile of Israel’s finest boys and girls..and Sharon’s temper.
For a signed peace treaty, Egypt got 2b year in aid forever, and the Sinai and its oil fields back, along with an Israeli airforce base. It now could agian
station troops on the border with Israel (Negev)..and in a whim, repeat 67 and 73.
Egypt benefitted from its relationship to US, and we benefitted by having a sort of ally. (There is still a cold peace..and we are haring shouts of
“liberate Jaffa). I doubt that is possible, with Israeli Merkavas ready to reinade the Sinai. Egypt has hundreds of F16s and missiles, as well
as an army approaching 1m with reserves. It is no cupcake guys.
But what I find most interesting, is the religion of peace, is showing
its violent side..with rape, looting, burning of property, etc. I mean, Egyptians fighting Egyptians? Peaceful, sure!
Can we all imagine if Egypt had won the 67 War (Read Michael
Oren’s Six Days of War).
Folks, Obama lost Egypt..no matter who wins ultimately, thanks to
his typical non involvement, state of denial mentality.
Need more proof, look at Lebanon., once a vibrant Christian country,
with Jewish/Christian values. Now look at it and Sharia.
Folks, this is the future, unless there are people like George Bush
to step up and fight the odds allied against them, like the liberals (excluding Harry Truman, Joe Lieberman and others of their ilk).
Hillary was great at admonishing Israel for building a few nursery schools, condos and yeshivas in East Jerusalem..while Lebanon/Egypt burns, like a wild
forest fire., out of control and consuming everything in its path.
Except there is no Israel to put out the flames.
And back in Damascus, US reps are meeting with Assad and his goons.
Speaking of dictatorships. Must be a good one.
“Some dictatorships are good, for the people and for the neighborhood.
Egypt’s form of goernment is good.”
yeah, thats why they’re all so happy.
Across several middle eastern states
Micky, Dan’s assertion that Egypt’s government is good displays the utter lack of care some neocons have for people in that part of the world at best, their obvious desire to amek war with them at worst.
I don’t care who gets credit for any good outcome in the Egyptian uprising. I just want a good outcome for THEM.
JMJ
Jersey.
I’ve never touched on Dan, hes a mixed bag.
But I cant believe a Jew would say such a thing. I was a bit taken back.
Everyone ought to to start looking at Elbaradei and the Muslim Brotherhoods history before they start getting too excited.
I asked a friend of mine to take some of my links and a post on these monsters.
I usually dont link to other blogs off of Erics, so please excuse me this once.
“The Muslim Brotherhood: A History, Part One”
http://www.rightpundits.com/?p=8167#comments
Mossad needs to put a hit out on Elbaradei.
Dont forget, hes the moron chief inspector who said Irans nuke program was no problem
“Micky, Dan’s assertion that Egypt’s government is good displays the utter lack of care some neocons have for people in that part of the world at best, their obvious desire to amek war with them at worst.’
please, dont start this partisan bull.
everyone knows that dem and rep administrations have embraced these dictators
[…] – New York News – Runnin’ Scared American Power: Bush Deserves Credit For What’s Happening in Egypt Egypt, George W. Bush, and the fight for freedom | THE TYGRRRR EXPRESS And it’s funny to talk about "rushing to judgment". I’m curious how many conservatives […]