I just saw a bit on CNN that concerns me. A reporter in the street was mobbed by protestors, who just wanted to get their face and voice on camera. OK, so far nothing extraordinary. Several of the English-speaking protestors screamed that they wanted much the same laundry list of things:
1) To get rid of Mubarak. (OK, whatever.)
2) Freedom. (Good for you.)
3) To destroy Israel (Ahh…. shit.)
This could get bad, if these chuckleheads are a noticable fraction of the protestors, and gain political power.
Yes, it’s bad that the US has supported dictatorial strongmen from time to time. But sometimes the alternative is *worse.* Had Sadat and Mubarak not decided to make nice with Israel, there would have likely been thirty years of unceasing war in the region, with possibly millions dead. Instead, the Egyptians have had to put up with a second-rate dictator, but have done *reasonably* well for themselves. But if they go the way of Iran, they can look forward to one hell of a dark future.
As I wrote previously, I’m sure the Israelies are getting ready for the fit to hit the shan here shortly. According to Wiki, Egypt has over 1,000 M1 Abrmas tanks… they are downgraded versions with somewhat less impressive armor, but even so they’re not the crappy T-55’s and T-72’s the Israelies have faced in the past. Unlike the dishonest scumbags who claimed for years that the US armed Iraq (although our troops only ever seemed to encounter AK-47s, Mil choppers, MiG fighters and T-72 tanks), in the case of Egypt we really *have* actually armed them. An American-armed Islamist Egypt on a rampage could spell serious trouble for Israel, especially with A Certain Special Someone in the White House. One wonders if the Israelies have targetted the Aswan High Dam with nukes, Just In Case.
5 Responses to “Uh-oh…”
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Israelis have faced tougher odds before, although perhaps they have never faced such a well trained opponent before.
In any case, the Palestinian Papers have shown that the Obama administration is just as supportive of Israel has Bush or Clinton were, so the Israelis would have US support.
Amazing the effect one movie can have:
http://english.aljazeera.net/mritems/Images/2011/1/26/2011126114735520876_20.jpg
I keep track of what’s going on in Israel via the online editions of Haaretz and The Jerusalem Post, and if things get any more chaotic in their government (latest thing is the Knesset Committee On Un-Israeli Activities) the Egyptians won’t have to worry about destroying the place; it will take care of that all on its own.
It’s starting to resemble the scene out of “Life Of Brian” where The People’s Front Of Judea is fighting The Popular Front of Judea, and both are pissed of at The Judean Popular People’s front.
Recently, one politician formed a new Israeli party…of which he is so far the only member. 😀
If nothing else, a war between Egypt and Israel would allow us to see US weapons going up against US weapons, and figure out if the Merkava or Abrams is the better tank.
“Amazing the effect one movie can have:
http://english.aljazeera.net/mritems/Images/2011/1/26/2011126114735520876_20.jpg ”
When “V” hit DVD, a friend of mine watched it – and said that they (whoever the mysterious and hidden “They” are) allowed it to be made or released.
At the time, I thought that was silly…but he was right about its effect; that Guy Fawkes mask has rapidly turned into a worldwide icon for anyone who is fed up with the present way things work in their society in particular and the world in general.
Case in point – the people who run the “The Pirate Bay” website from up in Sweden: http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2009/06/iran-activists-get-assist-from-anonymous-pirate-bay/
What’s interesting about “V for Vengeance” is that the original graphic novel was a slap against Thatcher, and the movie was a slap against Bush and conservatives in general… and yet, while the Bad Guys are called out as being descended from British conservatives, the society they run is sort of a Leftist wet dream, with “V” himself being everything the Lefties hate. It’s damn near Randian.
And if you pay attention to the movie, you can expect that a rational sequel to it would involve the Americans nuking the crap out of Britain. The British government cooked up some horrible plague and let Muslim terrorists release it in Britain… giving cause to get rid of Muslims. But it’s clear the Brits also released it in the US, bringing America crashing down and descending into civil war, while not sharing the cure (which it seems the Brits have). Nothing could bring a fractured US together quite like a common enemy. And since British society has also just come crashing down, it’d be an entertaining mess.
Does this mean we could do my great Machiavellian dream and let Great Britain fall to the Nazis, then grab all of Canada?
I love the turn of phrase, and a new American state, named “Formerly British Columbia”.