Reports coming in that Homeboy Hosni Custer Mubarak has taken the helicopter to the southern resort city of of Sharm el-Sheik.
Remember the Paulson Effect in 2008? Every time Henry Paulson appeared on TV to assure ever'body that ever'thing wuz jes' fahn', the stock market would tank several hundred points.
Remember the Gore Effect? Everywhere Al Gore goes, a blizzard follows. He must be back in Nashville this week. We got hammered, and it's 10 degrees outside this morning.
We now have the Mubarak Effect: Every time the senile old man gives one of his speeches, another 100,000 really pissed-off Egyptians hit the streets. It's so crowded now, there's no room to send in the goons-on-camels squad. The army is smiling and waving, just on hand to keep the crowd from burning the palace and TV studios down. They're handing out bottles of water and rations to the crowd at the palace...
The AlJazeera live feed is here.
There's a great old Russian joke:
Stalin dies, and Nikita Kruschev eventually is named to take over. His first day on the job, the office manager sez: Joe left you four envelopes and a note he sez you should read. So, Nikita opens the desk drawer, and, sure enough, there they are. The note sez--Comrade, you will face four major crises. As each one occurs, open the envelopes in order, numbered 1,2,3,4. Good luck, comrade!
The first crisis arrives--the economy tanks. Dark days, so Nikita opens envelope number 1. The message is: Blame me! So Kruschev begins the de-Stalinization campaign, and he's a hero.
Second crisis: The grain crop fails. Envelope 2: Blame the Chinese! Works like a charm--everybody hates the Chinese.
Third crisis: Eastern Europe's going off the rails. Envelope 3: Blame the Americans
Off to the UN, bangs the podium with his shoe, acts like a horse's ass, the folks back home love it.
Fourth crisis: The economy tanks, again. It's really bad this time.
Fourth envelope: Comrade! Prepare four envelopes!
Maybe Hosni was preparing his set of envelopes...and giving the staff time to shred the records, transfer the funds to Panama, pack up the bullion and antiquities.
He best not delay too long...that Custer guy, he decided to push on one more mile and not wait for reinforcements.
That worked out well.
Showing posts with label Mubarak. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mubarak. Show all posts
Friday, February 11, 2011
President Mubarak, Meet General Custer
To get things started, this is just one reaction to Homeboy Hosni's performance last night.
And, the Al-Jazeera live blog now underway...
A few questions come to mind, like, 'What the hell was he thinking? Just how senile is he?, (and) Who the hell let him on the air to give that speech? Did he write that drivel himself?'
There's a real problem with a life of unbroken successes: Humility, sweet humility, gained by failure, is never garnered. The one thing most needed, especially by those who lead, is absent when most needed. It is the raw material of tragedy: Greek, Shakespearean, and contemporary.
It's what got Custer and all his men killed that day. He'd never even lost a skirmish along the way in his storied career; and he knew better than his junior officers, and his non-coms, and his scouts, all of whom knew that the entire Sioux nation had gathered for the sole purpose of gathering his blond scalp. And no one dared disobey, or confront, or pull their unit out of the line. It was 'do or die', and sure enough, they all died.
OS once visited the site of the battle, and was immediately struck with the thought, 'What kind of idiot would lead his troops out into this exposed position, even without the entire Sioux nation on the warpath?' And OS is no military guy, a civilian to the core. It was that obvious. To everyone except George Armstrong Custer.
So, as OS retires to bed this evening, knowing that a tragedy is unfolding before the eyes of the world, he plans to say an extra prayer of thanks for all those failures he's experienced and survived. He prays for all those kids with their educations, their hopes, and their mobile devices, flooding the streets of Cairo. He has kids that age, and it's hard to watch. A number of them won't survive the weekend, likely, and moms and dads will have children to bury next week.
And, he prays for an extra teaspoon of humility in his morning coffee.
And, the Al-Jazeera live blog now underway...
A few questions come to mind, like, 'What the hell was he thinking? Just how senile is he?, (and) Who the hell let him on the air to give that speech? Did he write that drivel himself?'
There's a real problem with a life of unbroken successes: Humility, sweet humility, gained by failure, is never garnered. The one thing most needed, especially by those who lead, is absent when most needed. It is the raw material of tragedy: Greek, Shakespearean, and contemporary.
It's what got Custer and all his men killed that day. He'd never even lost a skirmish along the way in his storied career; and he knew better than his junior officers, and his non-coms, and his scouts, all of whom knew that the entire Sioux nation had gathered for the sole purpose of gathering his blond scalp. And no one dared disobey, or confront, or pull their unit out of the line. It was 'do or die', and sure enough, they all died.
OS once visited the site of the battle, and was immediately struck with the thought, 'What kind of idiot would lead his troops out into this exposed position, even without the entire Sioux nation on the warpath?' And OS is no military guy, a civilian to the core. It was that obvious. To everyone except George Armstrong Custer.
So, as OS retires to bed this evening, knowing that a tragedy is unfolding before the eyes of the world, he plans to say an extra prayer of thanks for all those failures he's experienced and survived. He prays for all those kids with their educations, their hopes, and their mobile devices, flooding the streets of Cairo. He has kids that age, and it's hard to watch. A number of them won't survive the weekend, likely, and moms and dads will have children to bury next week.
And, he prays for an extra teaspoon of humility in his morning coffee.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
The GulfStream Moment Comes And Goes: Mubarak Decides To Stay
OS took a break from his project, to listen in via the BBC. When he delayed the start of the address nearly an hour, it was a bad sign. The Beeb showed a split screen of Homeboy Hosni and Tahrir Square. The mood turned decidedly ugly as the speech dragged on, and on, and on...
Chinstraps on, everybody...the Beeb is reporting a crowd moving toward the presidential palace, and they're not happy. It's some 20 kilometers from the square, through the dark and cold.
Chinstraps on, everybody...the Beeb is reporting a crowd moving toward the presidential palace, and they're not happy. It's some 20 kilometers from the square, through the dark and cold.
The Gulfstream Moment Has Arrived: Mubarak To Step Down
Enuf wuz enuf wuz enuf...
It appears the military has stepped in, and let him know it's over.
From the BBC:
Hossan Badrawi, secretary general of the National Democratic Party (NDP), said Mr Mubarak would "most probably" speak to the nation soon.
It comes on the 17th day of protests against Mr Mubarak's 30-year rule.
The Egyptian military has said it is ready to respond to the "legitimate demands of the people".
In a statement on Egyptian state TV, it said the safety and security of the people was paramount.
Earlier, Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq told BBC Arabic that the scenario of President Mubarak stepping down was being discussed.
The BBC's Lyse Doucet, in Cairo, says the fact that President Mubarak's departure is even being talked about is a huge development.
Our correspondent, who spoke to Mr Badrawi, says the 25 January movement - the day when the protests began - will see this as a great victory.
Now, the real challenge begins--how to keep the place from descending into chaos, and construct some sort of workable political system that operates much more openly than before, and allows the citizens to have some opportunities. Without starting a war, and keeping the Suez Canal open.
It probably won't look like a pure Jeffersonian democracy, but here's hoping that the populace is educated and secular enough to avoid becoming another Iran.
(Oh, and by the way, gotta find a place for his Gulfstreams to land, secure that bullion and those antiquities he's taking to keep himself and the harem comfortable...Miz Hilary???)
BBC Live Stream here.
It appears the military has stepped in, and let him know it's over.
From the BBC:
Hossan Badrawi, secretary general of the National Democratic Party (NDP), said Mr Mubarak would "most probably" speak to the nation soon.
It comes on the 17th day of protests against Mr Mubarak's 30-year rule.
The Egyptian military has said it is ready to respond to the "legitimate demands of the people".
In a statement on Egyptian state TV, it said the safety and security of the people was paramount.
Earlier, Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq told BBC Arabic that the scenario of President Mubarak stepping down was being discussed.
The BBC's Lyse Doucet, in Cairo, says the fact that President Mubarak's departure is even being talked about is a huge development.
Our correspondent, who spoke to Mr Badrawi, says the 25 January movement - the day when the protests began - will see this as a great victory.
Now, the real challenge begins--how to keep the place from descending into chaos, and construct some sort of workable political system that operates much more openly than before, and allows the citizens to have some opportunities. Without starting a war, and keeping the Suez Canal open.
It probably won't look like a pure Jeffersonian democracy, but here's hoping that the populace is educated and secular enough to avoid becoming another Iran.
(Oh, and by the way, gotta find a place for his Gulfstreams to land, secure that bullion and those antiquities he's taking to keep himself and the harem comfortable...Miz Hilary???)
BBC Live Stream here.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Egyptian Police Trash American University Press Offices Friday: Homeboy Hosni's Finest Hour
The offices overlook the square, and the police wanted the vantage point from which to fire on the crowd below. So, they broke in. Rule of law, schmool of law, we don't need no stinking law. We're the law, bro! Homeboy Hosni sez so.
While they were at it, they trashed the offices, for good measure.
American University in Cairo Press editorial director Neil Hewison posted his account on the Oxford University Press blog.
Our AUC Press offices were trashed on Friday. The police had broken into the AUC to use the roof of our wing to fire on protesters at the junction of Sheikh Rihan and Qasr al-Aini (we found empty CS canisters and shotgun cartridges up there). And persons unknown ransacked our rooms. Drawers and files emptied, windows broken, cupboards and computers smashed. But it could have been much worse. Meanwhile, the violence may get worse before it gets better.
I’m well stocked with food and water, and there’s a good gang of neighborhood lads downstairs with makeshift weapons to keep our building and other buildings safe. Now that we have internet again I can communicate better and even do some work!
Now, ya'll, jest in case someone thinks that this is some wild-eyed bunch of anarchists pushing revolutionary screed out the door, take a look at their catalog, distributed by those wild and crazy guys Oxford University Press.
Our tax dollars at work, ya'll. Miz Hilary best be packing Homeboy Hosni off to his Gulfstream and finding a place for his scurvy ass to land. With a fortune in the tens of billions, he should find some place warm and dry to finish out his days.
Unless, of course, he really is Obama's special homeboy, and it doesn't matter how many publishers get trashed, or civilians get shot...
Only power matters, right? Never let a good crisis go to waste, right?
(HT Inside Higher Education)
While they were at it, they trashed the offices, for good measure.
American University in Cairo Press editorial director Neil Hewison posted his account on the Oxford University Press blog.
Our AUC Press offices were trashed on Friday. The police had broken into the AUC to use the roof of our wing to fire on protesters at the junction of Sheikh Rihan and Qasr al-Aini (we found empty CS canisters and shotgun cartridges up there). And persons unknown ransacked our rooms. Drawers and files emptied, windows broken, cupboards and computers smashed. But it could have been much worse. Meanwhile, the violence may get worse before it gets better.
I’m well stocked with food and water, and there’s a good gang of neighborhood lads downstairs with makeshift weapons to keep our building and other buildings safe. Now that we have internet again I can communicate better and even do some work!
Now, ya'll, jest in case someone thinks that this is some wild-eyed bunch of anarchists pushing revolutionary screed out the door, take a look at their catalog, distributed by those wild and crazy guys Oxford University Press.
Our tax dollars at work, ya'll. Miz Hilary best be packing Homeboy Hosni off to his Gulfstream and finding a place for his scurvy ass to land. With a fortune in the tens of billions, he should find some place warm and dry to finish out his days.
Unless, of course, he really is Obama's special homeboy, and it doesn't matter how many publishers get trashed, or civilians get shot...
Only power matters, right? Never let a good crisis go to waste, right?
(HT Inside Higher Education)
Home-Boy Hosni Has Done Well: It's Good to Be King...
One must take this with a bit of caution, as the source is Al-Jazeera, but it's worth consideration.
Even if it is only 20% true, little wonder the streets have filled with fed-up people.
Even if it is only 20% true, little wonder the streets have filled with fed-up people.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Mubarak's Thugs: Thugz-Iz-Thugz, Wherever You Go
Funny, how common it is for dictators of all stripes, from Castro to Mubarak, to empty the jails and pay thugs to thug on their behalf, when push comes to shove.
This from France24.
Mohamed Abd Elatty is a freelance journalist and blogger in Cairo. He filmed this man's confession.
During the clashes on Wednesday, when anti-government demonstrators managed to catch Mubarak supporters, they disarmed them and handed them over to soldiers Late in the evening, I approached a group of protesters that had detained several baltgia militiamen, and asked the pro-Mubarak men if they would agree to be filmed explaining what their motivations were, because there are a lot of rumours going around on the subject. This young man was the only one who accepted.
He told me that he came from Alexandria and had been arrested – wrongfully, according to him – for drug trafficking. While he was in jail awaiting trial, a policeman reportedly came to see him and around 30 other prisoners and offered them each 5,000 Egyptian pounds if they accepted to participate in pro-Mubarak protests in Cairo. Unlike the other men he was with when protesters captured him on Wednesday, he didn’t have an ID card on him, which makes sense if he was a prisoner.
Another interesting point is that he claims to be from Alexandria. Right now, transportation between Egyptian cities is so bad that he can only have been brought by a government vehicle. In fact, most of the pro-Mubarak protesters that were arrested were unemployed men from outside Cairo: how did they all make it to Tahrir square?
A good question, indeed.
BTW, OS's Friend-of-Friend journalist made it safely out of Egypt and back to Europe.
Away from the thugs.
This from France24.
Mohamed Abd Elatty is a freelance journalist and blogger in Cairo. He filmed this man's confession.
During the clashes on Wednesday, when anti-government demonstrators managed to catch Mubarak supporters, they disarmed them and handed them over to soldiers Late in the evening, I approached a group of protesters that had detained several baltgia militiamen, and asked the pro-Mubarak men if they would agree to be filmed explaining what their motivations were, because there are a lot of rumours going around on the subject. This young man was the only one who accepted.
He told me that he came from Alexandria and had been arrested – wrongfully, according to him – for drug trafficking. While he was in jail awaiting trial, a policeman reportedly came to see him and around 30 other prisoners and offered them each 5,000 Egyptian pounds if they accepted to participate in pro-Mubarak protests in Cairo. Unlike the other men he was with when protesters captured him on Wednesday, he didn’t have an ID card on him, which makes sense if he was a prisoner.
Another interesting point is that he claims to be from Alexandria. Right now, transportation between Egyptian cities is so bad that he can only have been brought by a government vehicle. In fact, most of the pro-Mubarak protesters that were arrested were unemployed men from outside Cairo: how did they all make it to Tahrir square?
A good question, indeed.
BTW, OS's Friend-of-Friend journalist made it safely out of Egypt and back to Europe.
Away from the thugs.
The GulfStream Moment Approaches
It's not a matter of if, just when.
From this evening's New York Times:
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is discussing with Egyptian officials a proposal for President Hosni Mubarak to resign immediately, turning over power to a transitional government headed by Vice President Omar Suleiman with the support of the Egyptian military, administration officials and Arab diplomats said Thursday.
Oh, to be a fly on the wall and overhear the conversations...
From this evening's New York Times:
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is discussing with Egyptian officials a proposal for President Hosni Mubarak to resign immediately, turning over power to a transitional government headed by Vice President Omar Suleiman with the support of the Egyptian military, administration officials and Arab diplomats said Thursday.
Oh, to be a fly on the wall and overhear the conversations...
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Egypt From Tennessee Thursday 3 February: Journalist Roundup In Cairo
Washington Post crews detained.
OS is keep AlJazeera on (Heaven help us...), and they report a lot of their gear has been seized. Recent footage and reports from the square indicate both small arms and automatic weapons fire, with one claim of 'snipers'--hard to know if that's accurate.
France24 indicates the army is moving in to restore order in the square.
France24 also reports: Bert Sundströms, a senior journalist with Sweden's Sveriges Television has been arrested while reporting from Cairo, the public broadcaster has said.
Shahira Amin, who resigned the official Egyptian news service this week, reports she is being followed and threatened.
OS has his own reliable sources, with a widening readership. He just learned that a friend of a friend is amongst the journalists seized.
Reason has departed. If Mubarak and company think they can crush this thing, arrest journalists and send thugs out to attack, they are just delusional.
OS's greater concern is that something a lot more malevolent than Mubarak may be waiting in the wings. Often, there is.
OS will check back later. Happy to pass on news if it will help friends and friends of friends.
Still a lot of movement, rock throwing, etc. on the square.
We're in good hands, ya'll, even when it gets scary. Prayers asked for OS's friend of friend.
OS is keep AlJazeera on (Heaven help us...), and they report a lot of their gear has been seized. Recent footage and reports from the square indicate both small arms and automatic weapons fire, with one claim of 'snipers'--hard to know if that's accurate.
France24 indicates the army is moving in to restore order in the square.
France24 also reports: Bert Sundströms, a senior journalist with Sweden's Sveriges Television has been arrested while reporting from Cairo, the public broadcaster has said.
Shahira Amin, who resigned the official Egyptian news service this week, reports she is being followed and threatened.
OS has his own reliable sources, with a widening readership. He just learned that a friend of a friend is amongst the journalists seized.
Reason has departed. If Mubarak and company think they can crush this thing, arrest journalists and send thugs out to attack, they are just delusional.
OS's greater concern is that something a lot more malevolent than Mubarak may be waiting in the wings. Often, there is.
OS will check back later. Happy to pass on news if it will help friends and friends of friends.
Still a lot of movement, rock throwing, etc. on the square.
We're in good hands, ya'll, even when it gets scary. Prayers asked for OS's friend of friend.
Mubarak And Barack O'Reagan Obama Prepare For The GulfStreamMoment
Robert Gibbs, after another testy press briefing, in which he imparts no real information: Uh, Mr. President, The Press, who helped elect you 'cuz you kept preaching about 'transparency', they're, well-uh...pretty pissed that you won't talk to them yourself. You still need them, sir, if you want to keep this gig for another four years. Remember, I'm outta here soon, and can't fend them off for you.
Barry, impatiently: Screw 'em. I'm all they've got. Remember, I'm channeling Reagan now, Time Magazine sez so, 'cuz that's what we told them to say. That was a great shot with the football, wasn't it? Staged to mirror image The Gipper and everything. Damn, I'm good!
Gibbs: Mr. President, the embassy's on the phone from Cairo. They've worn out all the paper shredders, and those incinerators they ordered never arrived. Is it ok to let the local contractor haul all those cables and docs away? They promise to burn them, honest. It's a reputable firm the State Department has used a lot lately, Assange and Associates. Besides the crowd's growing out there, and they're really pissed. The ambassador wants to know where the helicopters are, and can the Marines load their weapons, please. Things went really sour in Tehran when they weren't allowed to shoot back, Mr. President. That's how Carter lost his reelection to Reagan. That and the general ineptitude...
Barry: No, the Marines can't load their weapons, 'cuz they might hurt somebody if they defend the embassy, and how would that make me look? Borrow some shredders from the Brits and the French, and rent a herd of goats to eat the papers. Do I have to think of everything? Tell the ambassador to cool his jets, that Hilary lent the choppers to Bill for one of his weekend socials with Berlusconi, and once they get them cleaned out and the pilots sobered up, they'll be around to fetch him. What's the hurry? Our boy Hosni's in firm control of the situation. Man, didjou see them camels charging the crowd? That'll make the highlight reels fer sure. Our homeboyz even gotta sense of humor! We gotta remember that one for the next time Glenn Beck and his teabaggers show up. Damn!
Gibbs: Uh, Mr. President, Hosni's on the phone. He sez he needs three GulfStreams now: One for him and the fam, one for the harem, and one for the gold reserves and antiquities he's had his boyz loot from the banks and museums during the camel attack. Sez he'll turn truckloads of really interesting docs over to that Assange guy if you don't get him what he wants.
Barry: Call Hilary, tell her to work it out. Hell, call Jimmy Carter! He put Hosni in power--it's his fault, and he keeps bugging me, wanting a 'do-over'.
I'm the next Reagan, and he never got his hands dirty on little stuff! Hell, after Jimmy Carter, all he needed to do was exchange oxygen to look like a hero. Breathe in, breathe out, tilt your head, smile and say 'Well...?'--how come he gets all the love?
Gibbs: Mr. President, HomeboyHosni has another question. Where's his plane gonna land, and Tel-Aviv is not an option. The French don't want him. You can't pay off anybody in the Emirates, they're all rich. Jordan, Yemen, Syria and Tunisia got their own sets of problems, and Riyadh's getting crowded--they've already taken their quota of disgraced Muslim dictators, they said.
Barry: Call Scotland. They like Arab mass-murderers. Yes, it's cold, but they're broke. Hell, call Iceland! They're even broker and colder. That's what a harem is for. He can even learn to like haggis and haddock. Beats being lynched in public. Tell him to stop whining. Anything else, Gibbs?
Gibbs: No, nothing comes to mind. You've got it all under control. The world sure is lucky to have you at the helm, Mr. President.
Barry: Well...?
Barry, impatiently: Screw 'em. I'm all they've got. Remember, I'm channeling Reagan now, Time Magazine sez so, 'cuz that's what we told them to say. That was a great shot with the football, wasn't it? Staged to mirror image The Gipper and everything. Damn, I'm good!
Gibbs: Mr. President, the embassy's on the phone from Cairo. They've worn out all the paper shredders, and those incinerators they ordered never arrived. Is it ok to let the local contractor haul all those cables and docs away? They promise to burn them, honest. It's a reputable firm the State Department has used a lot lately, Assange and Associates. Besides the crowd's growing out there, and they're really pissed. The ambassador wants to know where the helicopters are, and can the Marines load their weapons, please. Things went really sour in Tehran when they weren't allowed to shoot back, Mr. President. That's how Carter lost his reelection to Reagan. That and the general ineptitude...
Barry: No, the Marines can't load their weapons, 'cuz they might hurt somebody if they defend the embassy, and how would that make me look? Borrow some shredders from the Brits and the French, and rent a herd of goats to eat the papers. Do I have to think of everything? Tell the ambassador to cool his jets, that Hilary lent the choppers to Bill for one of his weekend socials with Berlusconi, and once they get them cleaned out and the pilots sobered up, they'll be around to fetch him. What's the hurry? Our boy Hosni's in firm control of the situation. Man, didjou see them camels charging the crowd? That'll make the highlight reels fer sure. Our homeboyz even gotta sense of humor! We gotta remember that one for the next time Glenn Beck and his teabaggers show up. Damn!
Gibbs: Uh, Mr. President, Hosni's on the phone. He sez he needs three GulfStreams now: One for him and the fam, one for the harem, and one for the gold reserves and antiquities he's had his boyz loot from the banks and museums during the camel attack. Sez he'll turn truckloads of really interesting docs over to that Assange guy if you don't get him what he wants.
Barry: Call Hilary, tell her to work it out. Hell, call Jimmy Carter! He put Hosni in power--it's his fault, and he keeps bugging me, wanting a 'do-over'.
I'm the next Reagan, and he never got his hands dirty on little stuff! Hell, after Jimmy Carter, all he needed to do was exchange oxygen to look like a hero. Breathe in, breathe out, tilt your head, smile and say 'Well...?'--how come he gets all the love?
Gibbs: Mr. President, HomeboyHosni has another question. Where's his plane gonna land, and Tel-Aviv is not an option. The French don't want him. You can't pay off anybody in the Emirates, they're all rich. Jordan, Yemen, Syria and Tunisia got their own sets of problems, and Riyadh's getting crowded--they've already taken their quota of disgraced Muslim dictators, they said.
Barry: Call Scotland. They like Arab mass-murderers. Yes, it's cold, but they're broke. Hell, call Iceland! They're even broker and colder. That's what a harem is for. He can even learn to like haggis and haddock. Beats being lynched in public. Tell him to stop whining. Anything else, Gibbs?
Gibbs: No, nothing comes to mind. You've got it all under control. The world sure is lucky to have you at the helm, Mr. President.
Barry: Well...?
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Cairo: All Video Links Shut Down, And Mubarak's Supporters Hit The Streets
This just announced by Neil Cavuto at 17:50 CST US (01:50 AM in Egypt):
All video links from Egypt have gone dark, simultaneously. There are reports of Mubarak's supporters hitting the streets to go after the protesters in the square in Cairo.
Perhaps, last night's speech was delivered to create confusion and buy time for the internal security types to reorganize?
Could be, he's also buying time in order to get the GulfStream loaded up with the bullion, the helo to the airport warmed up, the numbered bank accounts stuffed with the final few billion.
Blood has already spilled, scenes of chaos all day.
Here we go.
Remember, we're still in good hands. All will be well, and all manner of things will be well, but it will be pretty ugly short-term, in OS's humble opinion.
All video links from Egypt have gone dark, simultaneously. There are reports of Mubarak's supporters hitting the streets to go after the protesters in the square in Cairo.
Perhaps, last night's speech was delivered to create confusion and buy time for the internal security types to reorganize?
Could be, he's also buying time in order to get the GulfStream loaded up with the bullion, the helo to the airport warmed up, the numbered bank accounts stuffed with the final few billion.
Blood has already spilled, scenes of chaos all day.
Here we go.
Remember, we're still in good hands. All will be well, and all manner of things will be well, but it will be pretty ugly short-term, in OS's humble opinion.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Well, That Went Over Well... Mubarak's Speech Tuesday Night
Not!
If ya wanna get the crowd of aggrieved citizenry on your side, at least long enough to get them to listen to you for a few minutes, don't begin by calling them hoodlums and vandals. It just irritates them more, bubbah.
OS watched the Al-Jazeera feed. The crowd just went ballistic after Hosni spoke, promising to leave office in September, vowing to die on Egyptian soil, etc. etc.
He may get his wish. Time to head for the airport, Hosni. Your Gulfstream awaits.
Time to send the helicopters to the embassy, Barry. No need to sacrifice any Marines to the mob.
You just can't make this stuff up. Wonder how Hilary's doing just now?
If ya wanna get the crowd of aggrieved citizenry on your side, at least long enough to get them to listen to you for a few minutes, don't begin by calling them hoodlums and vandals. It just irritates them more, bubbah.
OS watched the Al-Jazeera feed. The crowd just went ballistic after Hosni spoke, promising to leave office in September, vowing to die on Egyptian soil, etc. etc.
He may get his wish. Time to head for the airport, Hosni. Your Gulfstream awaits.
Time to send the helicopters to the embassy, Barry. No need to sacrifice any Marines to the mob.
You just can't make this stuff up. Wonder how Hilary's doing just now?
Egypt From Tennessee, Tuesday Noon: Mubarak's GulfstreamMoment
Link TV is carrying the Al-Jazeera feed on our satellite TV, and the announcement just came from the State Department that the US ambassador to Egypt has met with opposition leader ElBaradei.
So, it's Mubarak's GulfstreamMoment. As in, load up the State Department Gulfstream with as much of Egypt's bullion as it can safely hold, load up yet another discredited dictator and his suitcase full of antiquities, and find a friendly place to deposit his 82-year-old discredited ass.
The Enterprise carrier group is steaming through the Med toward Egypt, preparing for our ChinookMoment. As in, the helicopters extracting our people from the US Embassy before the angry mobs overwhelm the reinforced Marine guards (who of course, won't be allowed to defend themselves), so that we can avoid a repeat of the Tehran1979Moment, or the Saigon1974Moment. (Anybody else notice how much Obama hates the Marines, until he needs them to save his ass?)
The US, UK and Europe are pulling their people out as quickly as possible. The term is known as 'bugging out'. It's not going smoothly.
It's all like a John LeCarre novel, played out on live TV, except that it's too bizarre even for a gifted novelist to create. A true JeffFoxworthyMoment, whose favorite quote is 'I can't make this stuff up, ya'll!'
And, for today's little RuhRohMoment, these greetings from the Muslim Brotherhood. Waiting in the wings, so they can push the country over the cliff into mass bloodshed. Sweeeeet....
But, the Suez Canal is still open, so all is well with the world. The Dow is up 146 points at noon US Central time.
The Al-Jazeera live stream is here.
So, it's Mubarak's GulfstreamMoment. As in, load up the State Department Gulfstream with as much of Egypt's bullion as it can safely hold, load up yet another discredited dictator and his suitcase full of antiquities, and find a friendly place to deposit his 82-year-old discredited ass.
The Enterprise carrier group is steaming through the Med toward Egypt, preparing for our ChinookMoment. As in, the helicopters extracting our people from the US Embassy before the angry mobs overwhelm the reinforced Marine guards (who of course, won't be allowed to defend themselves), so that we can avoid a repeat of the Tehran1979Moment, or the Saigon1974Moment. (Anybody else notice how much Obama hates the Marines, until he needs them to save his ass?)
The US, UK and Europe are pulling their people out as quickly as possible. The term is known as 'bugging out'. It's not going smoothly.
It's all like a John LeCarre novel, played out on live TV, except that it's too bizarre even for a gifted novelist to create. A true JeffFoxworthyMoment, whose favorite quote is 'I can't make this stuff up, ya'll!'
And, for today's little RuhRohMoment, these greetings from the Muslim Brotherhood. Waiting in the wings, so they can push the country over the cliff into mass bloodshed. Sweeeeet....
But, the Suez Canal is still open, so all is well with the world. The Dow is up 146 points at noon US Central time.
The Al-Jazeera live stream is here.
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