In his latest New York Times op-ed entitled "Egypt’s Three Revolutions" (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/24/opinion/friedman-egypts-three-revolutions.html), this would-be Middle East expert concludes:
"This is no time for America to be punishing Egyptians or demanding quick elections. Our job is to help the new government maximize the number of good economic decisions it makes, while steadily pressuring it to become more inclusive and making it possible for multiple political parties to form. If that happens, Egypt will have a proper foundation to hold democratic elections again. If it doesn’t happen, no number of elections will save it."
Democracy? Egypt? Should I laugh or cry?
Egypt, with only some $16 billion in foreign reserves, soaring unemployment, a devastated tourist industry, chaos being caused by Islamic militants in Sinai, a weakening currency, poverty, illiteracy, discrimination against women (90 percent of whom have had their genitals mutilated), oppression of its Christian Coptic minority, and a population that is growing beyond the country's means, is headed for disaster, and democracy is not going to save it.
Democracy is going to take root in a country where 84 percent of its Muslim population believes that those who abandon Islam should be executed and 95 percent believe it is "good" that Islam plays a large role in politics (see: http://www.pewglobal.org/2010/12/02/muslims-around-the-world-divided-on-hamas-and-hezbollah/)?
What is Tom smoking in his Maryland mansion?
I don't mind his smoking. I do mind his writing.
ReplyDeleteAnd I respond to his writing by not reading.
The guy is an absolute and perfect joke. His style is barbaric. I tried to read twice, vomited both times and gave up. His photo where he pretends that his mind is so big that he has to support his head with both hands is barbaric. His attitude of a scoundrel is barbaric.
He should be locked in his mansion's smoking room - without any contact with the world. Ah, he doesn't have any contact with the world anyway, but he floods the said (and sad) world with his production. Not fair. THIS should be stopped.