Barry Rubin, the voice of sanity, on Egypt’s revolution:
While a wave of attempts at popular revolution will spread, that doesn’t mean they will succeed. In large part, by the way, the world is under an illusion over Egypt. Mubarak did not fall because people went into Tahrir Square, Mubarak fell because the army wanted him out, in part because it was tired of him and angry that he had not retired or prepared for the succession; in part because he was a useful scapegoat for all the regime’s sins.
Thus, the army stood aside and did not lift a finger against the protesters. Uninformed observers will say that it did not want to shoot its own people but that has never stopped the army before. More accurately, it did not want to shoot its own people on behalf of Mubarak. The people’s revolution was actually a very cleverly engineered coup.
Yet another kassam, yet another yawn by the world: There’s a new IDF Chief of Staff, and one has to wonder what he’s going to do about the current rain of rockets on southern Israel.
Another “reformer” wants to break ties with Israel: Ayman Nour, who was arrested by the Mubarak regime for trying to run against Mubarak, wants to end the peace treaty with Israel. Because it’s old. And he says that even while insisting Egypt will respect its international agreements with other nations. Why not with Israel? Oh, come on. You read this blog. What is the Israeli Exception Clause? Just add “except for Israel” to everything.
In an interview with a Lebanese radio station, Nour, who served a lengthy jail sentence during deposed president Hosni Mubarak’s era, said Egypt “is a great country and must respect its agreements. As for Camp David – this is a unique issue with unique aspects – the people will decide on this matter.
See? Egypt must respect its agreements, except for Israel. Yeah, go back to jail, loser.
The Palestinian democracy charade begins: Abbas is going to have his cabinet resign. Then he’s going to appoint them back. The creepiest thing about this? I agree with what a Hamas spokesliar said. Ew. I need to shower.
“This is silly theater,” said Hamas official Fawzi Barhoum. He accused Abbas of trying to fool people into thinking that genuine reform was underway.
“The people’s revolution was actually a very cleverly engineered coup.”
see also: the American Revolution (like most such things, “a rich man’s war and a poor man’s fight”).