I am fascinated by the manner in which opinion splits regarding Egypt, not least of which it becomes highly politicized in the nation.  Really, the only people who I peg as reasonably consistent are that type of neo-isolationist / dreary realist axis which is the order de jour at the “American Conservative”. 

The criticism of Mike Huckabee being the voice in defense of Mubarak need only turn to Dick Cheney.  Which is interesting, because I can’t quite tell if Cheney (not a neo-con, mind you) undercuts my thought that the charges from the various Fox News corner of the political discourse, and on to your John Boltons and Sarah Palins (groan… no, I don’t quite know what she wants Obama to do — Speak out for Democracy but question the protesters?  I guess we are onto something of honest policy disputes even if it’s in this narrow sphere of questions — if President Bush were doing what Palin is requesting, I’d object), that if Bush were the president right now, they would have no problem thumping everything going on in Egypt as part of the Big rush of Arab Democracy launched off of the missiles blown over in Iraq.

Which some are doing.  If they can just corner off Obama out of the picture.  Obama, you remember, who delivered this speech — which I remember with Jon Stewart mocking Republican criticism with a rendition of his words delivered out of his mouth in the way they would like it delivered — as bomb blasts.  I recall too some liberal criticism — the center of the Islamic world is shading off toward Africa, and he should have delivered the speech there.

Meantime, the Conspiracy corners are both predictable and a bit chaotic.  On one hand, they need to stand with the Egyptian protesters and can’t side toward Murbarak.  So we can trumpet this up — clandestine American involvement in Egyptian pro-democracy groups.  (Of course, wikileaks is mutli-sided — pick and choose when it’s good and when it’s part of the vast Gate-Keeping unit.)

The obvious and easy place for Liberals to go is to point to the various authoratarians the US supports.  Policy repercussions are always tricky — and we’re round the corner of the contradictions for what you do with policies.

More practical interests lie about here… the “lifestyles” section of International Politics.

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