Sputnik Moment

Once again, we’re not talking about the nebulous promise of “more better teachers and sh**” that the President “put out there” at the State of the Union (didn’t watch it; just heard the highlights and all)… we’re talking about the situation breaking out all over the Arab world now, which has already brought down the government of Tunisia, has caused the Egyptian strongman and American ally Hosni Mubarak’s police to fire on protesters in Cairo, killing at least one thus far and injuring who knows how many others, and protests have broken out in Yemen as well, and even Jordan and Palestine.
But what does it all mean FOR AMERICA?
Brother Dmitry, in his inimitable way, puts this in perspective, noting that we can expect the American government to, just as has been done with Afghanistan and so many other things, to follow the Soviet playbook to the letter, further hastening ultimate collapse. I did note the kneejerk American response to send at least rhetorical support to our longstanding ally and aid-recipient Hosni Mubarak… even as lip service was also paid to “democracy” (of the kind we have attempted to impose elsewhwere in the Middle East at gun-point).
Well. So much happening, so fast. Is Obama our Gorbachev? He has, ironically, by trying to be even more maniacal in suppressing information than his maniacal predecessors, been part of a process that unleashed a wave of it thus far. The effects of economic, environmental and social “change”… possibly of an “unwelcome” nature, are unfolding in front of us… in some places (far from here… for the moment), political change is afoot too. Where will this stop? Don’t know. It’s 2011. Could be another… 1789? 1917? 1968? Or… none of the above. I, for one, think we’ll need to see how developments unfold– particularly in Egypt– at least a little longer– to make some sense out of this.
Interesting times. Look out for yourselves, your families, your friends, your loved ones. Because you can rest assured… your government isn’t… or certainly won’t be able to too much longer.
Update: The death toll is , evidently, over 70 protestors dead, as police opened fire on a crowd of people in Cairo. The usual response of martinets everywhere– brutal repression. Tomorrow’s another day… maybe there will be better news. Please God, or Inshallah, or whomever else might be listening.