In yesterday’s Washington Post (2/6/11), David Broder likened the U.S. position on Egypt to being a fan of the hapless Chicago Cubs: Big things are happening all around you, but you have noway to do anything about it.
That is the reality that confronts President Obama today. His hands are tied while Egypt erupts.
At first he expressed support and sympathy for the democratic forces filling the streets and appreciation for the Egyptian military holding fire. But when it became clear that Mubarak was on his way out, sooner or later, it dawned on everyone that the Muslim Brotherhood might seize on the resulting power vacuum and chaos to erect a hostile regime on the banks of the Suez Canal.
Whom do you root for in a situation like this?
It actually hasn’t “dawned on everyone” that the Muslim Brotherhood will “erect a hostile regime” in Egypt. Even a casual observer of the uprising in Egypt would likely encounter commentary and analysis that debunks the argument that the Muslim Brotherhood is about to turn Egypt into Iran.
Broder’s contribution to the discussion is in line with that of other establishment pundits who express alarm at the prospect of Egyptian democracy.
