Other Music From A Different Kitchen | Tag Archive

[Video] Wisconsin GOP Tries Illegal Tactics To Pass Anti-Union Bill?

By Ian ⋅ February 20, 2011 ⋅ 7 comments

[Video] Dick Cheney Called a War Criminal During his CPAC Appearance

By Ian ⋅ February 13, 2011 ⋅ 354 comments

But even crazier, someone’s response is, “He must be a Canadian!“ Like Canada hasn’t been one of the US’s longest-running allies in these two mishandled wars. WTF??!

[via TPM]

[Video] President Obama Speaks on the Ousting of Egypt President Hosni Mubarak

By Ian ⋅ February 13, 2011 ⋅ 734 comments

I was watching CNN the night of these momentous events but had to turn it off. Gloria Borger was peddling the same old scare tactics & stereotypes about ‘Arabs can’t do democracy’, this may not serve our or Israel’s interests etc. Pundits have been consistently wrong at just about every turn on what has transpired in Egypt and the rest of the Middle East.

Mona Eltahawy, Wael Ghonim are their ilk are right: the #Jan25 Egyptian revolution is a game-changer that is going to render the current mindset about Middle East politics, what Arab people and their nations are capable of and by extension much of the US and the West’s Foreign Policy stance wrt the region and the two major wars currently being conducted there obsolete.

In my mind, this is 1991 fall of the Soviet Union empire time in the Middle East. Anyone talking about ‘maintaining stability’ or supporting despots, corrupt monarchies and other autocrats & dictators that serve Western interest at the expense of their own people’s freedom are quickly going to find themselves on the wrong side of history.

Five years from now, the Middle East is going to be vastly different place and it won’t be because of the Bush’s so-called ‘War on Terror’ (although sadly and ironically, he may ultimately be able to claim the credit for the current turn of events) or the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. It’ll be because the people there have finally seen, through the example of Tunisia and Egypt, that they can take the power for themselves. I am in awe of the Egyptian people….

Related:

– Rageh Omaar: The west clings on to the old Arab order at its peril – “Arabs across the region are ready for life after the autocrats. If the west remains reticent, they will look elsewhere for support.” [The Guardian]