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Updated Thursday, February 17, 2011 9:29 pm TWN, The China Post news staff

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Yet another Mubarak will replace Egypt's Mubarak

The writing is on the wall for the Egyptians: President Hosni Mubarak had to go. That much was clear, because Washington had finally decided to gracefully dislodge the Egyptian autocrat from his 30-year rule over the Arab world's most populous country rocked by violent protesters demanding a quick political change in Cairo. These people wanted democracy, which Mubarak had refused to grant. They believed they could oust Mubarak with Uncle Sam's help just as Tunisia's jasmine revolt got rid of Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, who had to flee Tunis for exile after a 23-year reign.

The question Uncle Sam is now facing is who is going to replace Mubarak. It's not very difficult to answer. All Washington needs to do is to let Egypt's all powerful army pick another Mubarak to continue the line of authoritarian rule started by Maj. Gen. Mohammed Naguib in 1952. Naguib was shunted aside by Col. Gamel Abdel Nasser, who was elected president in 1956. Nasser did pretty well — so much so that he was hailed at one time as a candidate for khalifah or caliph, the successor to Mohammad.

Well, Nasser died without realizing his dream of a new caliphate, one starter effort being to organize the United Arab Republic of Egypt and Syria and a loose Federation of Arab Republics of Egypt, Syria and Libya. Anwar Sadat, a vice president who took over from Nasser, aligned Egypt with the U.S. in 1972 by ordering most of the 20,000 Soviet military advisers and personnel to leave. Mubarak, a vice president, succeeded Sadat, who was assassinated in 1981. Vice President Omar Suleiman or Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, head of the military council, may come into power.

One thing Uncle Sam has learned is that he shouldn't pick the new Mubarak for the Egyptian army that is the only stabilizing force in the land. The United Sates selected the successor to Saddam Hussein in Iraq. It failed to work.

As a matter of fact, President George W. Bush shouldn't have started the Iraqi War in the first place. His father, George H. W. Bush, was much wiser. He suspended Operation Desert Storm to let Hussein continue his iron-fist rule, simply because Iraq would be ungovernable without the dictator.

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Comments

February 17, 2011 olivierderr@

I was expecting an insightful view into the situation in Egypt. What I read instead was a piece of America-bashing journalism.
I'm a European, and not very fund of 'Uncle Sam' either.
But please don't disguise your anti-so-and-so rhetoric behind misguiding headings.

February 18, 2011 cia_yes@

Why ? Why ? Why ?
It's ridiculous and incredible that Uncle Sam, the champion of democracy, defender of human right did not notice what Mubarak was doing to his country men for 30 years until the popular uprising. May be the Egyptians do not have the right to vote for the US president, so whatever the Uncle Sam and his crony do to the ordinary people, it will not effect the election result. It's not "people power" as most media reflexively describe that unseated Mubarak. The real catalyzing factor behind the scene is the military who did not follow Mubarak's order.

February 18, 2011 carltanong@

Uncle Sam was a powerful nation on earth and was the exponent and champion of DEMOCRACY. But Uncle Sam has forgotten what they believed in or pretending what they should upheld with.

The wild fire was now raging in the Middle East and Central Asia because Uncle Sam exported the word DEMOCRACY. Civilians died everyday.

And now the unrest was spreading from Northern Africa to the Persian Gulf. What will happen to the civilians in those countries?
_WHO IS THE INSTIGATOR'S BEHIND THE UNREST???
_WHAT IS HER PURPOSES?

WHY Uncle Sam was now courting "COMMUNIST" VIETNAM? Isn't VIETNAM was a communist country that Uncle Sam wanted to destroyed in the past??? But failed and caused the lives of millions of Vietnamese civilians.

Let's us hope that the Asian's country should take every precautions and think wisely to avoid falling into the TRAPS set up by Uncle Sam and become the victims of unnecessary unrest, war and killed ourselves in this 21st century.

Just think of our own country and family. Never mind about DEMOCRACY, COMMUNIST or other's system of gov't. Never mind what Uncle Sam shouting about DEMOCRACY.

Do you believe Uncle Sam citizens did NOT suffered from suppression, oppression and poverty??? Think wisely!!!

February 18, 2011 monkeythein@

How is this another American-bashing article? Are you upset because the article takes a snipe at Israel?
This article is just reiterating facts that can be found in many historical contexts. President Obama's indecision at the start of the riot makes it even harder to dismiss what this article claims. Uncle Sam did not readily have an emergency replacement for Mubarak, but I'm sure the White House, Pentagon and CIA along with the Israel lobby are having overnight meetings to decide who should become the next US appeaser. By the way, I am an American.

February 21, 2011 hailey3%@

"Otherwise, the Arabs, like the Chinese, could form a cohesive political as well as cultural entity."

Written against a background of Chinese Nationalism. Tend to agree with first comment. And by the way: the Chinese a cohesive political and cultural entity? Under the threat of imprisonment, yes.

February 21, 2011 olivierderr@

To imply that Egyptians could not have achieved their revolution without American help is an insult to their fervor and determination. Not a word of the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood in this article. Instead, both Bush senior and junior receive one paragraph's attention. The nowadays denigrating term "Uncle Sam" instead of "the United States" is used throughout the article. No mention either of Mohammed ElBaradei, Nobel Peace laureate, enemy of the Bushes, and the key figure in the uprising.

@monkeythein
If you cannot analyze an article in your supposed mother tongue, or don't posses the necessary background into what you call "many historical contexts", then don't. It's one thing to have left your soil to come to Taiwan, it's another to defend an editor finding an excuse to, once again, trying to wipe the floor with your reputation.

February 21, 2011 arthurpenn@

@monkey
"How is this another American-bashing article?"

Poor naive American native! Have a look at the tone of the other two Feb. 18 comments, a tone set by the article. Not too observant, are you now? Or maybe not that American?

February 22, 2011 wangyutzou@

<>

Excuse me? China hasn't been fragmented into smaller states because of "scholar-officials trained to maintain the Confucian social order"?? Tell that to the Tibetans! Come on dear Staff, do a more sincere and bigger effort to cite facts, not fast-food ideologies like the one above. Thank you!

February 22, 2011 mohamaicha@

Dear editor,
you write [Ben Ali is gone, but Tunisia can't be made a democracy overnight. Mubarak stepped down, but democracy won't come to Egypt in any foreseeable future]
--so what if democracy takes time? The opposite is dictator and it doesn't take time. Good government take time. This is good and important time for democratic Egypt and Mideast. We deserve some world respect, no?

February 22, 2011 frankygoestohollywood@

"It's ridiculous and incredible that Uncle Sam, the champion of democracy, defender of human right did not notice what Mubarak was doing to his country men for 30 years until the popular uprising"

It's you who's ridiculous, I'm afraid. Should the US have stirred an uprising earlier (trying to overthrow Mubarak), you would equally have cried foul about. If tomorrow president Ma farts openly after eating a McDonald's apple pie, you'll also cry foul against the US about that.

February 25, 2011 tom26038@

This article is brief and seems to not be aware of the size and influence of the Islamic Brotherhood and their part, not only in Egypt but the other North African and Middle East countries undergoing rebellion against current government. The Islamic Brotherhood has millions of members in each of the North African countries and through peaceful means or other, has influenced the choice of leaders in most countries. The few remaining dictators are now being replaced and will be replaced with men chosen by the Islamic Brotherhood. The U.S. and Europe are passive bystanders. Obama and others can make all sorts of claims and comments, but the people in these countries are not listening to him.

February 27, 2011 jasonhuww11@

A century ago, western countries did not believe that African colonies were fit to become democratic countries.
A century ago, Britain and much of the world did not believe India could ever be independent and democratic.
Two months ago, much of the world did not consider northern Africa and the Middle East fit to become free and democratic. Right now, some in China and Taiwan still believe the same to be true for the Chinese people. Let them watch and learn.

February 28, 2011 alcoholicanonymous@

Some well-meant suggestions for carltanong, before he produces his next comment:

1. Stay away from alcoholic beverages (including mouthwash) for at least 6 hours
2. Use Google Translate to seriously improve your English
3. Disable the CAPS LOCK function on your keyboard
4. Monitor your blood pressure; it will have the tendency to go overboard while and after you write
5. Stay away from alcoholic beverages for at least 1 hour after you produced your comment; this way, the next days you might remember the trash you produced.

Good luck!

March 2, 2011 carltanong@

@alcoholicsanonymous
Thank u for your suggestions above. But....
_I never drink alcohol beverages when my stomach was EMPTY. Mouthwash??? Sure of course. My tooth was perfect with No decay. How is your teeth? Are they in perfect shape or....
_English??? As long as u understand what i write. That's English. And u understand and irritated u because I write the truth.
_I used CAP LOCK keyword in purposes to let u read more clearly and understandable about what my messages mean.
_my blood pressure??? Very normal. Cholesterol normal, triglyceride normal, heart beat perfect. Every 5 organs 100% healthy and function normally.
_Don't worry. I never produced any trash in my comments. Even before i signed a check, I can dictate if the date, name of the payee, numerical and wording are all correct.

Thank u again very much for your suggestions.

By the way, I've make a mistake in my comment once. Because at that time my stomach was empty and i consume 2 shots of Henn...XO inside of our exclusive club. U can ask ur good friend ludahai_nippon.

Drink alcohol moderately. If you are NOT a alcoholics. Take 2 bottle of beer before u go to bed. It helps ur blood circulation. But be sure your stomach is not EMPTY.