EGYPT IS STILL IN THE OVEN

Thomas L. Freidman of the World is Flat fame was on a talk show decrying the disorder of the Arab Spring, especially in Egypt. Although he was born in Minnesota, he was educated in Egypt and in England, which suggests he should have a deeper feel, if not sympathy, or at least have more of an understanding of Egyptian suffering than most of us.  However, his politics is buried deep in his genome and affects his reasoning, which was reveal in his comments about the situation in Egypt. He does not see a budding Republic in Egypt; he only sees the messy chaos of an evolving democratic state. He wants to see an ordered government in place with the people he agrees with on top. As an American conservative, he wants to be at the top and wants Obama to be there cracking heads in any why he can to arrive at a predetermined outcome. Because he is not doing that he, Friedman, is upset.

I believe that Obama and Friedman want the same end, which is for the Egyptians to form a democracy and be friendly to the United States. The deference is, and I can only speculate what each wants from their politics; what Freidman wants is hegemony, a subservient nation that will only do business with the United States and will support us in everything we want. In addition as an American, he wants immediate satisfaction, he wants it now. Obama wants a friendly Egypt; one that will be free to choose but will chose us because we have the best form of government on which to model their government and because we are the best nation in the world with which to do business.

My message to Thomas L. Freidman is that if the “world is flat”, and I believe he is correct in that assessment, then the world will know we are all these good things but have to be all these good things because we have to earn Egypt’s respect. I have recently blogged about the difference between fear and respect in reference to a punk with an assault rifle and a 150 round clip (Apr. 4, Fear, Respect, and Assault Weapons).  I see no difference between that punk and the America Friedman wants. Not convinced about my label of conservative for Freidman? Consider Bomb, Bomb McCain-Conservative, George W. Bush-conservatives, Paul Wolfowitz-conservative, Dick Cheney-conservative, Richard Perele-conservative, Donald Rumsfeld-conservative, Douglas Feith-conservative—shall I go on or is your stomach starting to churn.

Obama’s patience is a blessing, Egypt is still in the oven; when it is done, the world will know it. 

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