Archive for the ‘Politics’ Category
It’s the US against Egypt’s protesters now
As The New York Times reports , on Saturday the US and other Western powers “threw their weight behind” Omar Suleiman, Egypt’s vice-president, and his efforts to end the protests. US secretary of state Hillary Clinton yesterday urged patience, saying that reform “takes some time,” and adding “there are certain things that need to be done in […]
Egypt – it’s not about religion
This is a photo of non-Muslims protecting Muslims at prayer in Cairo, according to this site.
Message to America: Hands off Egypt!
After decades of backing autocrats, the best thing Washington can do for the cause of Egyptian democracy is to butt out. Read my spiked article in full here.
The reality of Obama’s interference in Egypt
Here’s President Obama’s statement in response to Mubarak’s announcement that he will not stand in the elections planned for September. As I mentioned in my post yesterday, there is a contrast between Obama’s rhetoric of support for Egyptian self-determination and the reality of US interference in the country. This continued in today’s events. At his press conference, Obama says: “Now, it is not […]
The US should not “do more” in Egypt
It is exciting to see the Egyptian people rebelling against the Mubarak regime and demanding democracy. They should be fully supported. At the same time, it is hard to predict where all of this is headed, especially given the lack of clear leadership among the opposition forces. The US, of course, has been a big […]
Obama rebounds in polls
Heading into tomorrow night’s State of the Union address, President Barack Obama is riding a wave of rising approval ratings. Most polls over the past week show Obama at over a 50 percent approval rating. Real Clear Politics’ average of polls (graph above) finds 51.0 percent approve, the President’s highest rating since November 2009. This is quite a […]
MLK Day
Remembering Martin Luther King on his Day. Remarkable man. This video is of King speaking in Montgomery, Alabama in March 1965. It reminds us of one of his great talents: his oration. Such poetry in his powerful words, such passion, and made all the more important because he was backed by a real struggle. Note how the lyrics of the Battle […]
Observations on Obama’s speech at the Tucson memorial service
Praise has been heaped on President Obama for his speech at the Tucson memorial service last Wednesday, from both the right (“terrific” according to John McCain) and the left (“magic” wrote Gail Collins). If you missed it, you can watch the video here, or read the text here. For the most part, Obama’s speech was a […]
Palin and British wishful-thinking
The word on this side of the pond is that some Brits are filled with glee from “news” stories like this one in the Guardian (“Sarah Palin hit by fallout from Arizona shooting spree”), which predict that the Arizona shootings will result in the demise of Sarah Palin. I believe these Brits are misinformed, and as guilty as the liberal commentators over here in jumping to wishful-thinking conclusions. […]
Most Americans believe Tucson shooting unrelated to rhetoric
Many liberal commentators have put forward that heated rhetoric and the political “climate” were important factors that explain Jared Loughner’s shootings in Tucson, Arizona on the weekend. Well, a majority of Americans don’t agree. According to a CBS News poll out today, 57 percent of people said the harsh political tone had nothing to with the Arizona shootings, while 32 percent said it […]