In yesterday's Washington Post (2/6/11),David Broder likenedthe U.S. position on Egypt tobeinga fan of the hapless Chicago Cubs: Big things are happening all aroundyou, but you have noway to do anything about it.
That is the reality that confronts President Obama today. His hands are tied while Egypt erupts.
At first he expressed support and sympathy for the democratic forces filling the streets and appreciation for the Egyptian military holding fire. But when it became clear that Mubarak was on his way out, sooner or later, it dawned on everyone that the Muslim Brotherhood might seize on the resulting power vacuum and chaos to erect a hostile regime on the banks of the Suez Canal.
Whom do you root for in a situation like this?
It actually hasn't "dawned on everyone" that the Muslim Brotherhood will "erect a hostile regime" in Egypt. Evena casualobserver of theuprising in Egypt would likely encounter commentary and analysisthat debunks theargument that the Muslim Brotherhood is about to turn Egypt into Iran.
Broder's contribution to the discussionis in line withthat of other establishment pundits who express alarm at the prospect of Egyptian democracy.
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