Things Have To Change In Order To Remain The Same

[Eric]

By Paul Craig Roberts

The hypocrisy of the US government is yet again demonstrated in full bore force. The US government invaded Iraq and Afghanistan, laid waste to much of the countries including entire villages and towns, and massacred untold numbers of civilians in order “to bring democracy” to Iraq and Afghanistan. Now after days of Egyptians in the streets demanding “Mubarak must go,” the US government remains aligned with its puppet Egyptian ruler, even suggesting that Mubarak, after running a police state for three decades, is the appropriate person to implement democracy in Egypt.

On January 30, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton declared that “freedom and democracy” America neither seeks nor supports the ouster of the Egyptian dictator.

Israeli prime minister Netanyahu told the US and Europe that criticism of Mubarak must be curbed in order “to preserve stability in the region.”

By “stability” Netanyahu means the unimpeded ability of Israel to continue oppressing the Palestinians and stealing their country. Mubarak has been for three decades the well-paid enforcer for the US and Israel, sealing off Gaza from the outside world and preventing aid flows across the Egyptian border. Mubarak and his family have become multi-billionaires, thanks to the American taxpayer, and the US government, both Republicans and Democrats, do not want to lose their heavy investment in Mubarak.

The US government has long corrupted Arab governments by paying rulers installed by the US to represent US/Israeli interests rather than the interest of Arab peoples. Arabs put up with American-financed oppression for many years, but now are showing signs of rebellion.

The murderous American-installed dictator in Tunis was overthrown by people taking to the streets. Rebellion has spread to Egypt and there are also street protests against the US-supported rulers in Yemen and Jordan.

These uprisings might succeed in ousting puppet rulers, but will the result be anything more than the exchange of a new American puppet ruler for the old? Mubarak might go, but whoever takes his place is likely to find himself wearing the same American harness.

What dictators do is to eliminate alternative leadership. Potential leaders are either assassinated, exiled, or imprisoned. Moreover, anything short of a full-fledged revolution, such as the Iranian one, leaves in place a bureaucracy accustomed to business as usual. In addition, Egypt and the country’s military have grown accustomed to American support and will want the money to keep flowing. It is the flow of this money that ensures the purchase of the replacement government.

Because the US dollar is the world reserve currency, the US government has financial dominance and the ability to financially isolate other countries, such as Iran. To break free of America’s grip, one of two things would have to happen. Revolution would have to sweep the Arab world and result in an economic unity that could foster indigenous economic development, or the US dollar has to fail as world currency.

Arab disunity has long been the means by which the Western countries have dominated the Middle East. Without this disunity, Israel and the US could not abuse the Palestinians in the manner in which they have for decades, and without this disunity the US could not have invaded Iraq. It is unlikely that the Arabs will suddenly unite themselves.

The collapse of the dollar is more likely. Indeed, the policy of the US government to maximize both budget and trade deficits, and the policy of the Federal Reserve to monetize the budget deficit and the fraudulent paper assets of the large banks, have the dollar heading for demise.

As the supply of dollars grows, the value diminishes. Perhaps the time is not far off when rulers cease to sell out their peoples for American money.

[Ranger]

Yeah... well I'm not seeing the connection between the Tea Party line and this article. There is a quote from Hillary Clinton (a Democrat.) I guess the real change occurred between the last two administrations... run away spending and two wars (oh nevermind, that's still the same.)

And this quote from the article stinks of anti-americanism... "Without this disunity, Israel and the US could not abuse the Palestinians in the manner in which they have for decades, and without this disunity the US could not have invaded Iraq." I'm no fan of sending trillions to Israel, but we haven't been abusing the poor undeserving middle easterners in the region.

There are hundreds of million of young angry unemployed Arabs in the world, I hope their governments help them find constructive outlets for all their energy.

Ranger

[Ranger]

From Wikipedia I see this guy thinks the government pulled of 9/11. He's an academic hack from UVA, UofC Berkeley and Oxford. I bet this guy has never labored a day in his life.

[Eric]

Yeah... well I'm not seeing the connection between the Tea Party line and this article. There is a quote from Hillary Clinton (a Democrat.) I guess the real change occurred between the last two administrations... run away spending and two wars (oh nevermind, that's still the same.)

And this quote from the article stinks of anti-americanism... "Without this disunity, Israel and the US could not abuse the Palestinians in the manner in which they have for decades, and without this disunity the US could not have invaded Iraq." I'm no fan of sending trillions to Israel, but we haven't been abusing the poor undeserving middle easterners in the region.

There are hundreds of million of young angry unemployed Arabs in the world, I hope their governments help them find constructive outlets for all their energy.

Ranger

Paul's a solid guy; a "conservative" from the days when that meant opposition to omnipresent government at home and empire-building abroad.

I agree with him that Arabs/Middle Easterners have a legitimate beef with the U.S. government, which for decades has interfered in the affairs of countries over there, by (most egregiously) removing (or helping to remove) leaders who don't toe the U.S. line and replacing them with bought and paid-for puppets such as the Shah, the Saudi and Kuwaiti oligarchs, the Mubarak clown, etc.

And he's absolutely right about the way Israel leads the U.S. government around like a poodle. About how anyone who dares to make any criticism of Israel risks the (groan) charge of "anti-Semitism" and political/professional ruin.

As far as 9/11: I think he's certainly right in pointing out that the Abdullahs don't "hate us for our freedoms" but rather are responding to the serial abuses committed by our government against their lands and their people.

It doesn't justify killing civilians - but it does explain it in adult, realistic terms - not the childish pap fed to us about "Islamofascism" and so forth.

Just my 50 cents.

[Mithrandir]

Al Jazzeera English
For more current information on the Egyptian revolt.

I just saw Democracy Now and they commented about the revolt in Egypt and some of what Mubarak tried to do in censoring information by shutting down the internet.

Somethings I found of interest:
Mubarak was able to get Vodaphone (mobile phone technology system) to shut the internet down in Egypt.

Narus is software that can be used to help track people on the internet
and even their physical geographic location.
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Israeli prime minister Netanyahu told the US and Europe that criticism of Mubarak must be curbed in order “to preserve stability in the region."

Would not more stability occur of there were better run countries in the Middle East instead of corrupt dictatorships? Of course a more democratic Egypt may not be beholden to US paymasters and Israeli ringleaders. They may even open Gaza to the outside world and alleviate the oppression of Israeli imposed economic blockade.

The US government has long corrupted Arab governments by paying rulers installed by the US to represent US/Israeli interests rather than the interest of Arab peoples. Arabs put up with American-financed oppression for many years, but now are showing signs of rebellion.

Probably part of the reason why certain groups around the world do not like the US.
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On another note China has blocked searches related to Egypt. I wonder why?