Out With the Old Tyranny, In With the New
Bush was belittled for his statement that yearning for freedom from tyranny is a universal phenomenon that we should be supportive of. The Muslim world was supposedly a prime counterexample, with only a single exception – Turkey, which belongs to NATO. Maybe it was culturally genetic, after millennia of pharaohs, shahs, etc. Just like the tsars of Russia to which they are returning after a brief fling with democracy.
Then came the massive protests in Iran, and in the last couple weeks Tunisia (leader ousted), Egypt (outcome pending – at the least a change in 8 months), Sudan, Oman & Jordan. The most common denominators seem on the surface to be weariness of oppressive economic, social and political conditions under multi-generational totalitarian sectarian (Egypt et al) or theocratic (Iran) rule.
But those were also the bogeymen that were manipulated to bring the Bolsheviks, Nazis and Mullahs to power, replacing one form of tyranny with another. The people knew only they wanted change (“hope and change” sound familiar?), but were so anxious to have it in such a hurry, that they allowed themselves to be whipped into an impatient fury by a relatively small minority of scheming opportunists who had much clearer designs, like the Bolsheviks, Nazis and Mullahs (and Socialists/”Progressives”). The people by and large hadn’t fully considered what they would replace the old tyrannies with, and so went along with those who had fully formulated their own plans, who were already well-organized, and seemed to bring order out of the chaos, or to restore the former greatness of the nation (e.g., post-WWI Germany, post-1990 Russia, the Caliphate, etc.).
The mainstream media seems falsely reassuring that the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt is only a relatively small and harmless, non-threatening organization. That even if they become a partner in government, don’t worry about it. No worry that they are the oldest and largest organized opposition to the current government, and were behind the assassination of Anwar Sadat, the first to make peace with Israel. No worry that they are promoting the ouster of Mubarak so that Egypt can make final preparations to eliminate Israel (some of the protesters have been heard to make such statements, and threats/hatred against those like the US, UK, etc. that stand w. Israel). Or that they spawned the likes of Al Zawahiri (Al Qaida’s #2) and Al Qaida in general (read “The Looming Tower” for an eye-opener). And the other Islamic fundamentalist tenets like imposing sharia law, militant jihad, etc.
The evidence that they stand ready to fill a power vacuum after Mubarak (another peacemaker with Israel) is clear already in the unholy alliance El Baradei – the only clear opposition figure -- has publicly declared with them. They have rejected Mubarak’s replacement of the rest of his government & offer to step down in the September election, and have made the ultimatum of Friday (tomorrow) as the “day of departure” (of Mubarak). This “harmless” Muslim Brotherhood seems to know that their chances of hijacking the revolution diminish if the people are given time to develop and consider alternatives, to grow other parties and candidates. And the protesters (many of them no doubt pawns) have been whipped into a frenzy and now violence and inflexibility.
The mainstream media wasn’t worried at the time about the emerging Bolsheviks, Nazis, Mullahs or Neo-Soviets. And they seem just as oblivious to the current emerging Muslim Brotherhood in the largest Arab nation, in control of the Suez Canal and the largest historical threat to neighboring Israel. Nor the cumulative effect of removal of the Gaza arms blockade, and an alliance with the stated aims of Hamas and Iran (the greatest exporter of terrorism in the world, and supporter of Hamas) to destroy Israel. No doubt Iran is playing a behind-the-scenes role in fomenting these uprisings for their own purposes.
Now Jordan, Israel’s only other peaceful Muslim neighbor, is threatened by similar upheaval. As well as Yemen, seat of the greatest Al Qaida threat after Afghanistan/Pakistan. All of these can be turned overnight from our greatest allies in the war on terror into our (and Israel’s) greatest enemies. And their people may wake up only too late, after their new tyrannies are even more deeply entrenched, as Iranians recently discovered.
We truly live in dangerous and changing times. And we need to look beyond the calming but oblivious reassurances of the mainstream media, and the Left.
Then came the massive protests in Iran, and in the last couple weeks Tunisia (leader ousted), Egypt (outcome pending – at the least a change in 8 months), Sudan, Oman & Jordan. The most common denominators seem on the surface to be weariness of oppressive economic, social and political conditions under multi-generational totalitarian sectarian (Egypt et al) or theocratic (Iran) rule.
But those were also the bogeymen that were manipulated to bring the Bolsheviks, Nazis and Mullahs to power, replacing one form of tyranny with another. The people knew only they wanted change (“hope and change” sound familiar?), but were so anxious to have it in such a hurry, that they allowed themselves to be whipped into an impatient fury by a relatively small minority of scheming opportunists who had much clearer designs, like the Bolsheviks, Nazis and Mullahs (and Socialists/”Progressives”). The people by and large hadn’t fully considered what they would replace the old tyrannies with, and so went along with those who had fully formulated their own plans, who were already well-organized, and seemed to bring order out of the chaos, or to restore the former greatness of the nation (e.g., post-WWI Germany, post-1990 Russia, the Caliphate, etc.).
The mainstream media seems falsely reassuring that the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt is only a relatively small and harmless, non-threatening organization. That even if they become a partner in government, don’t worry about it. No worry that they are the oldest and largest organized opposition to the current government, and were behind the assassination of Anwar Sadat, the first to make peace with Israel. No worry that they are promoting the ouster of Mubarak so that Egypt can make final preparations to eliminate Israel (some of the protesters have been heard to make such statements, and threats/hatred against those like the US, UK, etc. that stand w. Israel). Or that they spawned the likes of Al Zawahiri (Al Qaida’s #2) and Al Qaida in general (read “The Looming Tower” for an eye-opener). And the other Islamic fundamentalist tenets like imposing sharia law, militant jihad, etc.
The evidence that they stand ready to fill a power vacuum after Mubarak (another peacemaker with Israel) is clear already in the unholy alliance El Baradei – the only clear opposition figure -- has publicly declared with them. They have rejected Mubarak’s replacement of the rest of his government & offer to step down in the September election, and have made the ultimatum of Friday (tomorrow) as the “day of departure” (of Mubarak). This “harmless” Muslim Brotherhood seems to know that their chances of hijacking the revolution diminish if the people are given time to develop and consider alternatives, to grow other parties and candidates. And the protesters (many of them no doubt pawns) have been whipped into a frenzy and now violence and inflexibility.
The mainstream media wasn’t worried at the time about the emerging Bolsheviks, Nazis, Mullahs or Neo-Soviets. And they seem just as oblivious to the current emerging Muslim Brotherhood in the largest Arab nation, in control of the Suez Canal and the largest historical threat to neighboring Israel. Nor the cumulative effect of removal of the Gaza arms blockade, and an alliance with the stated aims of Hamas and Iran (the greatest exporter of terrorism in the world, and supporter of Hamas) to destroy Israel. No doubt Iran is playing a behind-the-scenes role in fomenting these uprisings for their own purposes.
Now Jordan, Israel’s only other peaceful Muslim neighbor, is threatened by similar upheaval. As well as Yemen, seat of the greatest Al Qaida threat after Afghanistan/Pakistan. All of these can be turned overnight from our greatest allies in the war on terror into our (and Israel’s) greatest enemies. And their people may wake up only too late, after their new tyrannies are even more deeply entrenched, as Iranians recently discovered.
We truly live in dangerous and changing times. And we need to look beyond the calming but oblivious reassurances of the mainstream media, and the Left.
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