The Egyptian Revolution: How Will the US React? #egypt #revolution #obama

For the past three decades the US and Egypt have maintained strong ties. But what lies ahead?

Watch Tamer Shaaban's video @tshaaban88:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vo5Fn1-2E8o&feature=email

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TRANSCRIPT:

The Egyptian Revolution: How Will the US React?

Anyone familiar with political discourse in the West -- particularly the US -- should be acquainted with the role of the word "freedom" in politics and popular journalism.

For better or for worse, the word has become a prominent feature in the national political vocabulary and is a perennially popular theme in presidential rhetoric.

In last week's State of the Union Address, President Obama lauded the Tunisian people for their bravery in ousting President Ben-Ali.

But the Obama administration has been cautious in addressing the current protests in Egypt. The president and Secretary of State Clinton have highlighted the importance of civil rights, but have not explicitly called for free elections. And Vice President Biden has even denied that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is a dictator. As a result, some observers are asking why this week's demonstrations have received a measured response from administration officials.

To make sense of the American reaction, it helps to look back in time.

After achieving independence from Britain in the 1950s, Egypt began to be recognized as a political and cultural leader in the Arab World. In 1956, President Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal -- a symbol of Western imperialism -- and used much of his resulting influence to promote unity within the Arab World.

Since Nasser's death in 1970, the country's influence among its Arab neighbors has waned while its relationship with the US has improved. The country signed a groundbreaking peace treaty with Israel in 1978 and in the early 1990s embarked upon a policy of economic reform with the help of the IMF. The nation is currently the second largest recipient of annual US foreign aid.

But critics note that Egypt's decades-long pro-Western stance has come with a price.

For the past thirty years, Mubarak has received over 80% of the vote in Egypt's doctored elections -- held once every six years. The leader and his regime have denied Christians of their rights, jailed tens of thousands of political dissidents and regularly censored information from its citizens.

American politicians and diplomats have gone on record urging the president to allow public assembly and freedom of speech, an unlikely proposition for a dictator who on January 28 ordered Egyptian ISPs to shut down most access to the Internet. Still, few leaders publicly question Mubarak's legitimacy.

Instead, many policymakers fear the uncertainty that free and fair elections represent.


What the US absolutely does not want is for the well-connected and illegal opposition party, the Muslim Brotherhood, to win elections in a post-Mubarak Egypt. The organization maintains an Islamist ideology and argues for the cancellation of Egypt's peace treaty with Israel -- a political stance a majority of Egyptians agree with, but one that worries Washington.

No doubt, in the days preceding a possible Egyptian revolution, American policymakers will be mulling over how to react to a free Egypt, one where Islamists could play a larger role and politicians may express greater concern over American involvement in the Middle East.

Original writing by MCLyteNyng

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[franksaninocencio]

Is "islamist" a word? I thought they were just called Muslims.

[MCLyteNyng]

@franksaninocencio

A muslim may or may not be an islamist. The word "islamist" typically refers to a person who also holds a vision of islam as a political force, as opposed to only believing in the religion. But again, the word is controversial because, like the word "socialist," it can mean a wide variety of things.

[ks77able]

Why the fuck would the US react?! They have no fucking right to change our country. They always get involved into other countries business'! WHY? WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THAT YOU'RE THE BEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD?! THIS SHIT IS GETTING OLD!

[MCLyteNyng]

@ks77able

That's a very good question. If you're actually interested in learning the answer to your question, please wikipedia or google the term "manifest destiny" and "American Exceptionalism." The reasons are very much cultural and historical. Keep in mind, Britain, France and Russia all held a similar attitude at one time.

"Manifest Destiny"

"American Exceptionalism"

[FortuneCookie507]

We Americans are cowards, we don't react - we go shopping.

[nocturnezero]

@polygamous1 If people go at the US now, it's because they pose probably the most severe threat through conquest and expansion to global democracy and national self-determination.

[basemeldeeb1]

THE USA ISNT BEHIND EVRYTHIN U KNW? THEY DIDNT DO ANYTHIN THOSE WHITESHITS ITS NOT ALWAYS THAT THE USA HAS TO BE IN THE GD STUFF IT WS PURE EGYPTIAN REVOLUTION NO AMREICAN OR OTHER SHITTY HELP EGYPTIAN POWER THAT LED TO THIS REVOLUTION NOT USA OR ANY OTHER WHITEMENS COUNTRIE'S POWER

[pulman7]

@MCLyteNyng the free mason sharia destroy the world are you people blind ?!

Islamic sharia is the world Solution !

thats why they scare you from it !

but we will do it in middle east soon

then teach the slut USA what mean Values​and ethics, democracy and social justice !

[OSARIOUS]

The US are double faced .At first they just wanted Mubarak to change things for the people but stay ,then when Egyptians started winning they said that Mubarak should leave and we are in support of the revolt ! .When they were giving him the money and the tear gas bombs to use against Egyptians .All they care about is how they look in front of the world as democratic not about the Egyptian people or Mubarak which has been their ally for 30 years they just threw him in trash.

[TheGraceofChrist]

@TheGraceofChrist look up the stats most Americans want us to pull out if for no other reason than we can't afford it.

[TheGraceofChrist]

@polygamous1 You got that right.

[polygamous1]

@RunescapeObscurity its no difference mate any country who had the military power invaded other countries for their own benefit all throught history, if ppl have a go at america now its cause they are the strongest FA else all wars are caused by greed take what the other man has usa is no worse than others in history

[polygamous1]

@TheGraceofChrist u think ANY leaders listen to the ppl of their country? no chance its called politics its all dirty

[polygamous1]

@ks77able absolute power corrupts!! any dictator that obays the us is a moderate specially where OIL is concerned peace treaty with israel is Not a bad thing BUT control of Egypteans is Not its what annoys me that ppl mix the 2 as one peace is good been controlled by others its Not