Well, that was a whole bunch of nothing by the President.

[stevedeshazer]

He supports the Egyptian government AND the Egyptian people.

That makes no sense at all!

Straddling the fence only puts your nuts at risk.

You have to pick a side once in a while, fer cryin' out loud!

<facepalm>

[malaise]

1. So what would you have said? n/t

[stevedeshazer]

15. I would have supported the people, not the dictator.

It just seems like a really clear choice.

I'd call on Mubarak to resign in private. But we don't know what happened. The few public statements indicate that the US government supports Mubarak.

It's just clearly wrong and while I support the Pres, this middle of the road stuff just honestly bugs me to no end.

My two cents.

[malaise]

27. Clearly we heard different things

US President Barack Obama on Friday called on Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to take concrete steps towards political reform, and to refrain from using violence against protesters.

“I want to be very clear in calling upon the Egyptian authorities to refrain from any violence against peaceful protesters,” Obama said in a statement shortly after speaking with Mubarak by telephone for 30 minutes.

“The people of Egypt have rights that are universal. That includes the right to peaceful assembly and association. The right to free speech and the ability to determine their own destiny. These are human rights.”

Obama said he told Mubarak to deliver on promises made in a speech to the Egyptian people to introduce democratic and economic reforms.


Read more: http://www.nationalpost.com/news/world/Obama+makes+statement+Egypt/4187669/story.html#ixzz1CNUkVyEz
-------------
Since when does the US President have the authority to tell any sovereign leader to step down?

[Ignis]

21. The same thing we should say in response to ANY uprising against a repressive regime:

"We support you."

[sudopod]

37. Americans once considered themselves to be revolutionaries. nt

[dflprincess]

41. That is what we usually say

the problem is, we say it to the repressive regime.

[TBF]

2. Catherina posted this earlier, but worth a second post -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Dr05tXktSo

Which side are you on? by Rebel Diaz

[amyrose2712]

14. Good song thanks!nt

[Scruffy1]

29. Great minds thing alike.

I started singing it while watching his speech.

[somone]

3. Bipartisan in everything to everyone

[Capitalocracy]

7. You know what happens when you drive down the middle of the road?

You get smashed. In both directions.

[Uzybone]

4. more simple minded thinking

[Capitalocracy]

5. Why am I not surprised? nt

[BeFree]

6. We give billions to Egypt

Don't want to mess up that gravy train by alienating anyone?

[Skittles]

we pimp a lot of jobs from America to Egypt too

don't want to upset the corporations

[cali]

8. it's what virtually every leader in the Western world is saying

including Ban Ki-Moon. And no, telling Mubarak to step down would not be a good move.

[jody]

9. Anyone who believes in nothing finds it easy to believe in everything including contradictions. n/t

[spanone]

10. i think he did the right thing. this is totally in flux.

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. Hedging bets

that's the name of this. If you were expecting ANY US President to take the side of the people... fully... and clearly... you are dreaming.

[stevedeshazer]

19. Yeah, you're right.

It's been a long damn time since that happened. Like, since never.

I was just hoping it was more like 60/40 people/Mubarak than the other way around.

Point taken.

[nadinbrzezinski]

24. Actually it was 50\50

[cali]

12. Just reported on Al-Jazeera that the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights

said "virtually the same thing as Obama".

[xchrom]

13. Obama joins the illustrious U.S. History

Of supporting it's chosen dictators.

[spanone]

16. i'd say he was more neutral than 'supporting dictators' this is developing situation

[xchrom]

31. Get used to it. Obama supported a dictator.

Your namby pamby assertion for what you heard not with standing.

[decidedlyso]

17. Well, yeah, but it was nothing deliver presidentially.

[treestar]

18. Diplomacy

that's what is involved.

We do not have to be considered to be on either side. In fact, it's not our business.

[riverwalker]

20. actually it was something

he was laying down the gauntlet. Appearing reasonable and diplomatic, putting the responsibility on Mubarek, knowing full well Mubarek won't change. Then when he fails
he can say "well, we warned him".
What he did NOT say was that the protestors were lawless, rioting trouble makers. He clearly said they were engaging in a basic human right. If you listen to the statement with an open ear, he said quite a bit. His advisors know to whom he is talking: the Egyptian people.

[Jane Austin]

22. He said he'd work with "your government"

He did not say he'd work with Mubarik.

Big difference.

[Hannah Bell]

23. mubarak is our guy, everyone knows it, what *can* he say?

we're for him until they make the calculation that it's better to cut him loose.

then they pension him off somewhere & put in a new guy.

[Arkana]

25. What would you have said, I wonder?

He can't support the protestors, and telling them to shut the hell up and obey isn't a wise course of action either.

It's a fine line he has to walk--remember, when we interfere over there we get slapped around.

[jonnyblitz]

26. he can't admit he sides with the dictator though you know he

does. Biden made that obvious.

[remember2000forever]

28. Playing It Safe, Just Like Our Upcoming Elections, Shame!!!

Middle of the Road. Always Safe. Center. I'm tired of this crap!

[Name removed]

30. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[notesdev]

32. we let the tear gas do the talkin' nt

[Hannah Bell]

33. it makes sense when you're not necessarily against what's going on.

the more tv coverage i see, the more i think that's the case.

[WinkyDink]

34. When you come to a fork in the road, take it!

[JCMach1]

35. Turn on Twitter and straighten-up Mubarak is not a response to the situation

Epic FAIL from Obama!

[sudopod]

36. Straddling the fence only puts your nuts at risk.

lol, quotable.

[johnroshan]

38. 'Blood Telegram' from 1971 comes to mind.

"Our government has failed to denounce the suppression of democracy. Our government has failed to denounce atrocities. Our government has failed to take forceful measures to protect its citizens while at the same time bending over backwards to placate the West Pak dominated government and to lessen any deservedly negative international public relations impact against them. Our government has evidenced what many will consider moral bankruptcy,(...) But we have chosen not to intervene, even morally, on the grounds that the Awami conflict, in which unfortunately the overworked term genocide is applicable, is purely an internal matter of a sovereign state. Private Americans have expressed disgust. We, as professional civil servants, express our dissent with current policy and fervently hope that our true and lasting interests here can be defined and our policies redirected."

(U.S. Consulate (Dacca) Cable, Dissent from U.S. Policy Toward East Pakistan, April 6, 1971, Confidential, 5 pp. Includes Signatures from the Department of State. Source: RG 59, SN 70-73 Pol and Def. From: Pol Pak-U.S. To: Pol 17-1 Pak-U.S. Box 2535;<6>)



US Government has a long and illustrious history of supporting dictators and screwing over the people.

Strategic interests have more clout in foreign policy issues than pesky crap like human rights.

John.

[bullwinkle428]

39. MiddleMan is here to save the day!

[SammyWinstonJack]

40. LOL!

:spray: :rofl:

[slay]

42. "Whatever you want to hear, I will say it in a presidential manner"

just don't expect much in the way of action or actual commitment. Sigh.. We're in for another 6 years of this from the Obama admin trying to please everybody but getting very little accomplished for the average person unless.. well fuck it we're pretty much in it for another 6 years of this shit. i see no Dem challenger or any electable republican. why can't he just stand up for what's right because it's right? so frustrating.. :banghead:

*edited for clarity