Jeffrey Goldberg, a blogger at The Atlantic, is getting some attention in the blogosphere reporting this exchange he had with Elliot Abrams:
I asked Elliott Abrams, formerly of the Bush Administration National Security Council, and now at the Council on Foreign Relations, what he makes of the Israeli longing for Mubarak. He was scathing in his response:
"The Israelis first of all do not believe in the universality of democracy. They believe what many American "experts" did in, say, 1950--democracy was fine for us and Western Europe, but not for Latins (too much Catholic culture) and Asians (too much Confucianism).
"They see a danger in Mubarak's fall, and they are right: we do not know who will take over now or in a year or two from now. But this is at bottom a crazy reaction. What they are afraid of is the Muslim Brotherhood, right? Mubarak has ruled for THIRTY YEARS and leaves us a Brotherhood that is that powerful? Isn't that all the proof we need that dictatorship is not the way to fight the Brotherhood? He crushed the moderate and centrist groups and left the Brothers with an open field. He is to blame for the Brothers' popularity and strength right now. The sooner he goes the better."
1950? Seems to me I heard a lot of "respectable opinion" saying that in 2003, and since.
2 comments:
But 2003 was pro-American democracy. Doesn't count. The only real democracy is anti-American democracy. Don't accept pale imitations.
The left is quite beside themselves over this one. They haven't had a classic dream script like this since the Winter Palace. You and I and the Egyptians may think we're watching Act 1, Scene 1, but our blogging colleagues on the port side have already written the dénouement. Two actually. The first is that Mubarak and Washington will combine to crush the legitimate aspirations of the freedom-loving agrarian reformers and usher in years of instability and resentment of the West. The second is that the people will storm the barricades and the whole place will explode in a murderous righteous rage directed against Big and Little Satan. Either way, it's party time.
Sadly, so far the Egyptians themselves don't seem to be following the script, to the palpable frustration of CNN and Al Jazeera. There is a slight sense of unease in some quarters that when some of those protesters say they want democracy, they actually mean the constitutional kind. Still, perhaps best for our side to send them our best wishes and keep our counsel until Act 11 unfolds next week. It's way too dangerous out there. No, I don't mean in Tahir Square, I mean in the blogosphere. Did you know that the definition of a freedom-hating, totalitarian, Zionist, fascist Pentagon-lackey is anyone who expresses the hope the transition from Mubarak to democracy is an orderly one?
Is there any doubt in minds and hearts that in the end the denouement will be Islamists in control and sharia the law of land in Egypt and the rest of the Middle East and probably North Africa?
Maybe this time, they'll actually manage to push Israel into the sea.
Moral of the story: Be careful of what you hope for, you might just get it.
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