Siding with a dictator has gotten us into a lot of trouble in a lot of places. There is a succession law in place in Egypt, designed to provide stability when the President (dictator, in this instance) resigns or dies. Let it work. The U.S. must not listen to Europeans. These are the same fools whose "balance of power" notions produced World War I, and whose folly at the Versailles conference produced World War II. Stand with the right, the right of the people to a government they control and does what they want it to do. If Democrats won't stand for democracy, with the people of Egypt, who will?
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The great preponderance of people are passive, so when demonstrations attract a MILLION people, not 600 thousand, in TWO cities in a country of 80 million, that's a mass movement. If Egypt had free and fair elections, we could know what the will of the people is, but it doesn't. Early elections could certainly be arranged without much trouble. Britain and other parliamentary democracies have elections within three weeks of the fall of a "government" (administration). So can Egypt.
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Actually, man-on-the-street interviews by U.S. news organizations have indicated that Egyptians really DO want the U.S. Government (President Obama, as the man in charge of foreign policy) to stand with them in demanding the ouster of Mubarak.
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What universe do you live in where the Bill of Rights is routinely ignored by the Government? You don't seem intimidated into silence. Educated people around the world, including Egypt, HAVE read the Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights, and would be very puzzled by your suggestion that the ideas set out there have been abandoned by the United States. They see us as a functioning democracy. They are right.
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Who better to be frank than a friend? If someone you hate tells you that you need to lose weight or you will die young, you resist the suggestion. If your best friend tells you the exact same thing, you pay attention. But dictators deserve no consideration, no respect. Hosni Mubarak has had 30 years to control Egypt and solve its problems. If he knew how to fix things, Egypt would be heaven on Earth by now. He has failed, and will always fail, because he has no solutions. It's long past time for him to leave, and if he resists, and the U.S. is seen as siding with Mubarak's dictatorship, there will be hell to pay, for us, not just the people of Egypt and the Mubarak family. As for the suggestion that Hillary Clinton opposes what Mubarak [oops; s/b "Obama"] has said, just read the news back a bit, and you will see that she has said EXACTLY the same, mutually contradictory things that Obama has -- as a Secretary of State MUST.
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I can't figure out whether you are an anti-American still operating under Communist-propagandistic delusions of how bad the United States is, or a Radical Rightist so intent on slandering the Obama Administration that in place of the exaggerated praise most Rightwingers heap upon all things American, you feel compelled to suggest that things are far worse than any realist would say. The people of Egypt WISH they had the problems of the United States. So do I, for them. At least we have a chance, every 2 years, to throw the bums out. Egypt hasn't had a new President in 30 years, and the person called "President" is a dictator. I'm very comfortable telling people that Egypt needs to be more democratic.
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So now the truth is out. The only reason some people care about what happens to Egypt and the Egyptian people is ISRAEL. Elections watched by outsiders are NOT necessarily legitimate. The Iran election was monitored, found fraudulent, but made to stand, as was the election in Afghanistan. The DEMONSTRATIONS by the pro-democracy forces are NOT "riots". The only rioters are goons sent out by the Mubarak administration to RESIST democracy. If Mubarak refuses to resign, why would anyone think he would consent to have anyone but his hand-picked successor win a September election. When the United States was created, there was exactly one legitimate, popularly elected government on Earth, ours. That there are many now is largely due to our example, and our support. This is no time to withdraw that support.
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Let us follow the "logic" of your remark: the world doesn't need police, and whatever anyone wants to do, they should be allowed to do without restraint. Let us then abolish our own police forces all across the Nation, and see how well that works out. The United Nations, and regional organizations such as the Organization for African Unity and Organization of American States are supposed to serve as police forces, but they don't work very well. So if (political) crimes are to be restrained, SOMEONE has to step forward and lay a restraining hand upon evil people. It is extremely naive to think we would be better off if we just let whatever happens, happen, domestically or abroad. Remember that whole Cold War thing? I suppose we should never have fought that either, huh?
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The Moslem Brotherhood has stated that it is not interested in political power. Do they mean it? Only time will tell. Nor is it obvious that Moslem Brotherhood activism in Egyptian politics and culture would be a bad thing.
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This almost-verbatim repeat of another comment shows you believe the Moslem Brotherhood to be a terrorist organization. Not everyone agrees.
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Oh, good. Let's back the wrong side, the one that is HOSTILE to all our ideals, and win the enmity of the people of Egypt. What bad advice!
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What is traumatic for the people cannot be the prime consideration. What is RIGHT for the people has to be our goal. And ending the incompetent Mubarak dictatorship is an urgent necessity. Right now, a lot of Egyptians feel that ANYTHING would be better than a government that has failed for 30 years to solve the problems of the nation, so that things are worse now than 30 years AGO. But of course things CAN go from bad to worse. It is up to people in a position to help, to assist Egypt in making a transition to a government that is not just democratic but also effective in tackling the problems.
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The U.S. is a democracy, not a dictatorship, so any comparison to 'foreign interference' in our affairs is fatuous. Liberation of the human race has ALWAYS been an important part of our national purpose. Remember George Bush's pretense that we would be greeted as liberators in the streets of Iraq? Were you as critical of Bush's interventions -- military interventions -- as you are of Obama's timid, tepid, rhetorical interventions? I doubt it.
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No one believes that is your only problem with Obama. He hasn't said much of anything about other countries' internal affairs, nor done anything to establish democracy in, for instance, Afghanistan. Did you praise him for his prior noninterference? I doubt it. And as to what the President of the United States says being "of no concern to anyone", that remark condemns itself.
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There is an Egyptian succession law already in place, so Egypt should be able to make a smooth transition to democratic elections NOW.

- posted by L. Craig Schoonmaker @ 9:52 PM