Latest Arab Spring thread

[Undertoad]

NYTimes has it too. If this goes off it will be a great success.

[Fair&Balanced]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

NYTimes has it too. If this goes off it will be a great success.

There is reason to be optimistic, but a tempered optimism with the expectation that what will follow is not likely to be a smooth transition to a more democratic and representative government.

Much like Egypt where the people appear to be getting impatient with the military controlled transition.

In both cases, US (and NATO) financial/economic support will be necessary or extremely helpful at a time when many here are suggesting that we cut all foreign aid.

One other US policy that I think makes sense is reaching out to the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and the Islamic Movement for Change in Libya, each of which will expect to have some role in a transition and new government in the respective countries. We can and should talk to these groups, despite the rhetoric from the right about these groups.

[Griff]

[un-UG]This was much smarter and better focused than previous interventions but it is still an intervention and as such should be opposed on principle.[/un-UG] Why is it we always have money for this kind of militaristic nonsense even with a debt limit? I understand that this is Obama finding a middle way, but it is a big strike against him in my book... not that the GOP will put forward a less blood-stained alternative.