Mubarak Resigns

Al-Arabia TV is reporting that Hosni Mubarak has resigned as president of Egypt. So are Voice of America and others.

All the Arabic stations are showing jubilant crowds in Cairo and Alexandria. So unless they're all mistaken, this seems legit.

Celebrate with Reason coverage of the Nile Revolution:

It was Egyptian heavy metal wot killed the beast.

Is it just a coup by the army?

A premature congratulation.

And another one.

Why a people-power revolution strengthens rather than disrupts civil society, and beats a palace coup any day.

Waiting…

…and waiting…

Libertarian veep candidate just says aywa to our torturing, mass-arresting, martial-law-declaring former buddy.

Why does the United States have an interest in this?

Jesse Walker gets the announcement two minutes before me.

And today's most accurate prediction: "Mubarak will not step down, he must be removed."

Comments

[hmm]

And now we start a day of Mubarkabating...

Let the fap begin!

[John Tagliaferro]

The CIA missed it by only one day. They need to get their intel from a better twitter feed.

[Brian Sorgatz]

Let's all sing together: "Yub nub...."

[wylie]

*bangs on a helmet-xylophone*

[Brian Sorgatz]

Those cute little teddy bears like to put their slain enemies' heads on spikes. Noble savages indeed.

[Invisible Finger]

Will a democratic Egypt vote for more freedom or for more state support?

[Fist of Etiquette]

The reporting and analysis of the riots/revolution is like that of the campaign of Barack Obama. The next iteration of Egyptian leadership is a seemingly blank slate, onto which we are all writing our ideal or our fear. The cold water of uncertainty has just recently seemed to hit us. Mixaphorically speaking.

[Really?]

THANK YOU.

[Fluffy]

It's perfectly possible that a new regime in Egypt will be hostile to the US.

I just happen to think that the best way to avoid that is to make it clear that:

1. We have no preference regarding which faction governs Egypt;

2. We will not interfere and attempt to impose one faction to the detriment of the others;

3. We will not shelter members of the old regime, or their assets, from the new Egyptian authorities.

Do those three things, and a lot of the boogeyman stories go away.

[yeah, right]

Do those three things and the most ruthless, violent, amoral faction will feel emboldened to realize their wildest dreams. Radical fringe groups love chaos.

Real quick, Fluffy, from where you are standing, how many unicorns do you see?

[Fluffy]

If we had done this in 1979, Iran would be a US ally today.

Spare me the "ruthless, violent, amoral faction" stuff. A ruthless, violent, amoral faction was just in power, and we didn't have any problem with it.

We were allied to Saddam Hussein once.

That single data point really silences any "But Fluffy, what about teh radicalz?" argument. We found a way to live with Saddam Hussein; we found a way to live with the Shah; we found a way to live with Mubarak.

[Aresen]

If we had done this in 1979, Iran would be a US ally today.

1979 was far too late. Maybe if the US had done that at the time Mosaddegh came to power in 1953.

By 1979, Khomeni was inevitable and he hated the US.

[yeah, right]

If you think that Hussein, Mubarak or the Shah were the worst tyrants that could be in charge, then you need to ask your nanny to go to the big people's library next time. There are tyrants that can be bought off or otherwise manipulated and then there are tyrants that can't. Thinking that playing nicey-nice is somehow going to prevent an unscrupulous demagogue from rising to power by demonizing the West is childish. Grow up.

However the US behaves, it will be used as an external scapegoat and railed against by the ugliest of the ugly. Promising to stay out of the fray only paints the US into a corner in which it must either passively watch while events spin out-of-control or look two-faced by interfering after making such a pledge.

[Who's Next]

I can't wait to meet the new boss,
same as the old boss. Fooled again.

[Frayed Knot]

Invest in oil stock now - the chances of a major Mideast war have now greatly increased.

[RADICAL PROSTATOT]

YO! I DID IT! I BROUGHT DOWN THE PHAROAH! WOOH!

hope someone drags him through the streets by his heels, that's the awesome way to depose a dictator.

[sage]

So...who's in charge?

[robc]

The military, supposedly.

[Fist of Etiquette]

I dunno. Coast Guard?

[Old Mexican]

Who's on third?

[Ragin Cajun]

You mean...Hu's in charge!

[Spoonman.]

No, but Hu may well be in charge in the New South Sudan.

[Ragin Cajun]

I'll assume he's not investing in pharmaceuticals...

[Pro Libertate]

China.

[JW]

Not until 2019.

[Pro Libertate]

Are you sure? I thought they had 50 times our purchasing power adjusted for PCP use per capita.

[Surly Chef]

lol

[Number 2]

Based on what I am watching on AlJazeera, the Supreme Council of the Egyptian Armed Forces is in charge and going to be issuing decrees.

Wow..sounds like democracy to me!

[H man]

It took him long enough to tranfer all those assets. You'd think with electronic banking everything would have been done much faster.

[Mo]

If the new government presses charges in the ICC, the frozen Swiss, British and US accounts are going to be a rude awakening.

[Rather]

AP is reporting Switzerland just froze his assets

[Hosni Mubarak]

That must be why my atm card isn't working. Damn.

[Rather]

Where are those deposed Nigerian princes when you need them?

[Mo]

The biggest loser in this, outside of the Mubarak family, is Al-Queda. Tunisia and Egypt demonstrated that you can overthrow your government (the close enemy) without terror and extremism, but through unity and the force of will.

[Professional Critic]

Are there unicorns in your world? We're not even 2 innings into this game.

[RADICAL PROSTATOT]

I shit in a unicorn once. She said she was from eqypt and hung out with the sphinx. So lighten up and celebrate the huge lead for peaceful unity and force of will.

[Mo]

Where else would you get unicorn meat from?

http://www.thinkgeek.com/caffe.....bles/e5a7/

[Jessica Simpson]

Mo, have you seen any chicken in the sea?

[Brett L]

narwhals?

[Max]

Oh, my God! Egyptians are chanting "Give us Libertopia! Sell the streets! Privatize the prisons! Abolish taxes!" Can you believe it?

[sage]

Somalia of the ME!!11!

[Brett L]

Isn't Somalia the Somalia of Saharan Africa?

[Isaac Bartram]

Actually, I wouldn't mind betting that Egyptians would actually like to have the kind of economic growth that Somalia has. A lot of other countries probably would too.

Actually, Somalia's economy has been slowing a bit in the last few years.

Not drawing any conclusions, but the slowdown has pretty much coincided with the latest attempt to impose a government there.

[Pirate Pete]

Aye matey, there be much snoozle to be had in pirate work these days. We no be needin some powdered wigs gittin in ours way. Arggh.

[MNG]

Well Max, they are a bit peeved at the tyrannical policies of their government so I wouldn't push that analogy too far...

[Max]

Egyptians are shouting "Sell the pyramids! Abolish camel regulations!"

[Max]

ARFARFARFARFARFARFARFARFARFARFARF!!!!!!!!!!1

[Maxie]

YIP!

[MaxiePad]

SNAP!

[Osiris Travel Agency]

Specials on Pyramid packages!

[American tourist]

Do I get to keep a piece?

[Aresen]

I do not like it that the VP Sulieman made the announcement.

It sounds like this is a purely cosmentic change.

[Brett L]

No Mubbie's gone. A "supreme military council" will hold power until elections can take place. No word on whether the September elections will be "postponed".

[CoyoteBlue]

Unless there is an emergency. Maybe if they see a jew or something. Or an Israeli beats a Palestinian - that always requires an authoritarian government. [/sarcasm]

[MNG]

I hope this turns out well for the Egyptians.

One thing that I wish would strike more people in all of the discussion about how the US was nervous about this and supported Hosni and kicked Egypt all that aid money in the past because he kept the peace with Isreal is a sense of just how entangling our alliance with Isreal has become. We can't look to our interests in huge areas of the globe because we have to be concerned with our client state (though at times it seems like we are their client state).

[Ken Shultz]

A lot of things we did in the context of the Cold War don't make as much sense outside of that context.

It's been largely forgotten in the public memory, but before 1972 or so, Egypt was supported by the USSR very much the same way we supported Egypt afterward. The USSR was by far the biggest contributor to Egypt and its military prior to U.S. involvement.

Even if you look at our support of Israel, if we don't look at it within the context of the Cold War, we're not getting the whole picture.

The Cold War has been over for decades now, so, of course, things that made sense in that context don't make sense anymore. Military alliances and foreign aid are lagging indicators though. We enter them cautiously because of the long term effects and because they're hard to get out of once we're in. That just comes with the scenery.

[MNG]

"Even if you look at our support of Israel, if we don't look at it within the context of the Cold War, we're not getting the whole picture."

Excellent point.

[cynical]

Fucking City States. If they didn't vote in the UN for Supreme Overlord, we could just ignore them.

[Lucky]

the aristocrats!

[rather]

Tic Toc Tic Toc

[cynical]

rather is ke$ha? Suddenly, things start making sense.

[DJF]

Bad news, I was hopping that Mubarak would stay and the US would finally cut off aid to him, but now he is going I am betting that not only will we not cut aid but will increase it so we can support "democracy" or whatever other reason the US government has to give away American taxpayers money.

[rather]

or we cut off aid because the MB takes over. Either way, aid should not be abused and it was by the last government-the money will not be wasted in a true democracy-well not as much 😉

[Mr Obama]

This is an unprecedented victory for my Middle-Eastern policy.

[Corporate Drone]

Yes, whatever that policy is -- even if it seems arbitrary and incoherent -- it works!

[Mr Obama]

That is the beauty of it: at some point something will work!

[Mr Obama]

Yes, a great personal victory for me, I might add.

[Corporate Drone]

Behold! Obama hath caused the Sun to rise in the East! O! Blessed be, oh Leader! Thy planetary rotational policy doth WORK!
/swoon

[Mr Obama]

I'm arranging for Michelle to make a Cleopatra-like entrance into Cairo.

[hmm]

I'd suggest not using a decorated horse drawn chariot. The people might have trouble telling the difference between Michelle and the horse.

[H man]

1. When Israel was in Egypt's land,
let my people go;
oppressed so hard they could not stand,
let my people go.
Refrain:
Go down, (go down) Moses, (Moses)
way down in Egypt's land;
tell old Pharaoh
to let my people go!

2. "Thus saith the Lord," bold Moses said,
let my people go;
"if not, I'll smite your first-born dead,"
let my people go.
(Refrain)

3. No more shall they in bondage toil,
let my people go;
let them come out with Egypt's spoil,
let my people go.
(Refrain)

4. We need not always weep and mourn,
let my people go;
and wear those slavery chains forlorn,
let my people go.
(Refrain)

5. Come, Moses, you will not get lost,
let my people go;
stretch out your rod and come across,
let my people go.
(Refrain)

6. As Israel stood by the water's side,
let my people go;
at God's command it did divide,
let my people go.
(Refrain)

7. When they had reached the other shore,
let my people go;
they sang a song of triumph o'er,
let my people go.
(Refrain)

8. O Moses, the cloud shall cleave the way,
let my people go;
a fire by night, a shade by day,
let my people go.
(Refrain)

9. Your foes shall not before you stand,
let my people go;
and you'll possess fair Canaan's land,
let my people go.
(Refrain)

10. This world's a wilderness of woe,
let my people go;
O let us on to Canaan go,
let my people go.
(Refrain)

11. O let us all from bondage flee,
let my people go;
and let us all in Christ be free,
let my people go.
(Refrain)

[Gus]

tl/dr

[Corporate Drone]

Quick! Someone send them more money!

[Corporate Drone]

Clarification:
Someone please send them SOMEONE ELSE'S money!

[Mr Obama]

I'm sending, I'm sending, even over the objections of the obstructionist Republicans and renegade Democrats. I shall personally support with your money whomever comes out on top.

[Vermont Gun Owner]

Jesse Walker gets the announcement two minutes before me.

Looks to me like you're doing some unlicensed writin' there. Can't even keep up to the mandatory minimum on typing speeds.

[Israel]

lil' help?

[Number 2]

NEWS ITEM: "Mubarak will not step down, he must be removed."

Isn't that excessive political vitriol?

[kwais]

Did anyone see Biden't complete horseshit speech Immediately following Mubarak stepping down?

[kwais]

I am pretty excited about this. It could go wrong, the elections could never happen, the new government could be as corrupt. Egyptian version of Hamas could take power.

But either way, it would seem we are done supporting 1 dictator.
And the Egyptians do have a chance. We can't really know how good of a chance they have, but they have one.

They might vote in socialists, they might vote in Islamists, but really that is their call not ours.
If they get a repeat election, they might learn from their earlier mistakes.

1 country in the whole middle east that has peace prosperity and democracy, and individual rights for everyone regardless of religion or background is possible. I don't know if it is likely, but it is now possible.

And it is the most populous country in all the middle east.

[Rather]

I wrote the same viewpoint this morning. If it does succeed, it will mean the US will have to rethink ALL foreign policy

[Tulpa]

1 country in the whole middle east that has peace prosperity and democracy, and individual rights for everyone regardless of religion or background is possible.

What about our wonderful ally Israel?

[Aresen]

The sad thing is that the Muslims living in Isreal and the areas under Isreal's direct control have more civil liberties than people living in any of the surrounding countries. I am not trying to justify the West Bank occupation, I'm just saying that, if I were a Palestinian, I'd rather be in the custody of the Isrealis than either Hamas or the Palestinian Authority.

[hmm]

You know who else wanted to rule Egypt?

[kwais]

hahaha did he now? I don't remember that chapter in my history books.

Though I think there was something about that in an Indiana Jones movie

[Mo]

Sure he did. Give him access to the canal as well as have the British colonies in the Middle East rise up against the Brits. Not to mention access to the oil fields in the region.

There's a few military cemeteries near El Alamein.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M.....rld_War_II

[-]

Richard Burton?

[Brett L]

I'd want to rule any country that could be had by marrying a young Liz.

[Tulpa]

THE SCORPION KING!!!!!1!!!1!!!

[kwais]

Has anyone notices that all the news channels are interviewing some real retards as experts over what is going on in Egypt?

This probably happens in other news stories, ones that I don't care about.

[Barack O'Bama]

Hope. Change! Told ya' so!

[PantsFan]

yup.
the CBC host almost got into a verbal altercation with the Egypt Ambassador to Canada, which ended in the typical Canadian "We'll have to agree to disagree"

[Retards 'R' Us]

Yes, we provide idiots posing as experts to all major news outlets for as much as 70% off what they'd have to pay for real experts!

Today only: 50% off on retards posing as experts on the Egyptian people.

[Leonard Koheni]

First we take Cairo...then we take Tehran.

http://www.broadbandtvnews.com.....n-jamming/

[Thomas Sabo Charms]

Thank you very much!

[thomas sabo]

I agree with your writing!

[Bob]

Amazing how greedily people lapped up Mubarak the tyrant stuff. How many of you could honestly say you had ever even heard of him a month ago? Be honest for a change.

Since the riots were perpetrated mostly by the poorest and least educated there's little hope of some freedom loving liberal Egypt coming out the other end. Fortunately for you guys you'll all forget Egypt in a week or two when it falls out of the news cycle.