"I would not refer to him as a dictator."
That's Vice-President Joe Biden. Speaking about Hosni Mubarak.
The same corrupt, brutal, repressive Hosni Mubarak who has ruled Egypt with an iron fist for the past thirty years under the guise of "emergency" laws.
George Bush simply curtailed our civil liberties and started a war under similarly specious pieces of emergency legislation. Hosni Mubarak has been ruling a country of 18 80 million with this kind of respect for law.
And Joe Biden respects him.
Doesn't think he's a dictator.
Doesn't think it's time to step down.
Which means Barack Obama and his administration have put their faith in the Mubarak dictatorship even as eight protestors have been killed, the ENTIRE Internet has been shut down, journalists have been killed, arrested, beaten and curfews have been put in place to quell this leaderless movement/struggle for social democracy.
This is a once-in-a-life-time struggle for basic and essential liberties.
THE ARMY HAS NOW BEEN SENT IN TO BACK UP THE COPS AND BEAT BACK THE PRO-DEMOCRACY ACTIVISTS
Al-Jazeera fears that they may be shut down by the Mubarak regime Watch LIVE.
And what message does the United States government send?
First, Hillary Clinton hems and haws and draws the ire of Mohamed ElBaradei. A controversial figure, and surely not the savior of Egypt as some Western journalists and talking heads would have us all fetishize the man, but a respected and important figure who knows his country far better than Mrs. Clinton.
Thanks for the assist, Hillary.
Oh, and then we have this garbage from the State Department wherein our government has essentially conceded that democracy is okay for Tunisia, but not for the silly Egyptians because that might scare poor little Israel.
What a commitment to democracy!
And, then, finally, we get to the comments from dear old, brain-dead, hair-plugged Joe Biden:
Ahead of a day that could prove decisive, NewsHour host Jim Lehrer asked Biden if the time has "come for President Mubarak of Egypt to go?" Biden answered: "No. I think the time has come for President Mubarak to begin to move in the direction that – to be more responsive to some... of the needs of the people out there."
The story is here.
The sadness is palpable.
The behavior is grotesque.
But not surprising.
Sure, you'll give a speech in Egypt to score some cheap political points, Mr Obama, but you won't stand with the Egyptian people? One can only wonder what is going on behind the scenes to prop up this Middle Eastern caudillo in the name of stability or business or whatever excuse that the Obama administration has for its contempt for the people of Egypt.
It's the same. Old. God. Damned. Bland. Fucking. Script.
Change? Keep it, Barack.
Take it back, Hillary.
Sit on it, Joe.
The Obama Administration has shown its moral fiber is nonexistent and that the US government stands with dictators, thugs and those who view democracy as a disease.
It's up to the American people to show our moral fiber and to let Egypt know that all free people everywhere stand with them and against their corrupt, US-backed government.
They're bleeding and dying in the streets for the kind of liberty we just assume throw away on a daily basis.
Let's show some solidarity. Let's try and help, if we can.
Tweet about it! Use the hashtags #Egypt, #Jan25, #Cairo, #Suez
Post links on Facebook. Tell your friends about the actions of BOTH of these repressive governments.
We can stand up and be counted among the ranks of those who love democracy and respect people or we can stand up and be counted among the ranks of those who lover rulers and power.
Shame on you, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton and Hosni Mubarak.
(And yes, they all belong in the same sentence.)
*edited to not give in to RW-framing. h/tdavid mizner