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Franklin Delano Rodham Clinton

By Michael J. Smith on Saturday February 5, 2011 06:21 PM

I wish our artist-in-residence, Mike Flugennock, would combine these two images: give Hillary the jutting jaw, the cigarette holder, the foxy grin of FDR. Seems only right, now that's she's suddenly become such a prophet of progress and democracy and The People, Yes! and so on. Here she is, speaking at a "security conference" in... Munich! (You can't make this stuff up).

The Middle East "is being battered by a perfect storm of powerful trends," Clinton said at the annual conference. A growing majority in the region are under the age of 30, and many are unable to find work, she said. They are connected with each other and with events around them by technology.

"And this generation is rightly demanding that their governments become more effective, more responsive and more open," Clinton said. Meanwhile, resources such as water and oil are running out, she added.

"Leaders in the region may be able to hold back the tide for a little while, but not for long," she said. "This is what has driven demonstrators into the streets of Tunis, Cairo and cities throughout the region. The status quo is simply not sustainable."

What we're seeing here, I think, bears out a long-standing conviction of mine: namely, that our rulers can suddenly get very concerned -- genuinely concerned, too -- for reform and the happiness and well-being of the public, when the public gets restless enough to scare the shit out of 'em.

They've gotta be really frightened by the situation in Egypt (not to mention Jordan and Yemen). They don't even apparently have any real control over their stooge, much less the folks in the streets.

Comments (13)

More than anything, that photo of FDR looks a lot like Burgess Meredith as the Penguin. Makes me wonder whether that particular Penguin was modeled after Mr New Deal.

sk:

Sounds like a continuation of her hectoring from last month — which really is a call for Saudi princes and others sitting on the oil to subsidize their less well-off and better-populated neighbors, but this is unlikely to happen given the lifestyles ruling family members have grown accustomed to. It's an old line: Tariq Ali's comparison of current events with the 1848   Springtime of the Peoples — and not 1989, incidentally — reminds one of something another prescient observer said then just before things came to a boil: "We are sleeping on a volcano... A wind of revolution blows, the storm is on the horizon".

There's nothing Hillary said about the Middle East that's not true of America. The only difference is that their young people are courageous. One day ours may be too. Now if she will just inform her boss that we are fed up with his attack on the working class to prop up the banks and the perpetual war economy.

Bill Jones:

You'll be shocked to hear that The Chosen One betrays the people of Egypt

NYT

"The Obama administration on Saturday formally threw its weight behind a gradual transition in Egypt, backing attempts by the country’s vice president, Gen. Omar Suleiman, to broker a compromise with opposition groups and prepare for new elections in September."

Nothing to see here folks, just a reboot. New desktop, same OS.

Roland:

Not one of the Western leaders called for democracy in Egypt.

Egyptians want free elections, but the Merkels and Clintons of our Glorious Secular Rational Modern Eternal Capitalist Occidental Empire are talking about delay, so that they have enought time to try to rig things. Typical.

Goddammit, Smiff, quit distracting me; I'm finally getting into a groove on Egypt.

op:

"There's nothing Hillary said about the Middle East that's not true of America."
yes often big beautiful words are inadequate to make distinctions

"The only difference is that their young people are courageous"
and also sometimes people can't get by those words
to the raw differences

-------

sk

i agree to the 1848 parallel

then england watched the euro continent rumble and quake
now uncle watches the arab world
in similar dudgeon

Clio likes these
all in all outs moments

a bit too rarely for my taste
She's mighty frugal with Her big moments

"Nothing to see here folks, just a reboot. New desktop, same OS"
i'm far from sure of this
the MB chat is not in and of itself anything
like a strategic
yes dividing the opposition is now on thew agenda as is the great stall

the old tea for two shuftle
but the people are not yet asleep[ on their feet

the working class with whatever combination of
pre existing and make shift insurrectionary organizations they have or can assemble
must now burst through the anonymous veil ...i repeat ....now
take an overt share in the leadership

by taking control of the food water issue
taking over the warehouses
and factories

most of all taking over the transportion system


"we will feed cairo ...we will get the necessary supplies in
and we will keep the enemies of the people out
if the streets in as much as they are civil and commercial streets aren't in the hands of the people themselves
the uprising will fall away
shrink to where security hands
and or the army
can grasp it tight hold it underwater
till it drowns

-----

one way or other
the evolution of this insurgency
will leave us all with renewed awe
at the world historic
achievement
that was the iranian revolution of 79

op:

the 48 reference rang a bell
back aways:

"This may not be merely Egyptian history here
But world history
I see a possible moment like 1848
Then It was continental Europe
now the Arab world

So far all the non oil Arab states save Syria morocco
Have seen upheaval
More then half of the Arab world is in motion

Yes we have a floating hegemon that makes England circa 1848
Look exceeding slight
In uncle two fists
But uncle
as you said is a pitiful giant when facing the people. On their feet .."

i had lost my head for a second
i hope i keep losing it

CF Oxtrot sez on 02.05.11 at 20:05:
More than anything, that photo of FDR looks a lot like Burgess Meredith as the Penguin. Makes me wonder whether that particular Penguin was modeled after Mr New Deal...

Wow, I don't know why I never noticed that before -- and I was one of those kids who religiously gravitated towards the TV on Wednesday nights (ZAP! POW! BIFF! ZOWIE!).

"Hwaak hwaaak hwaak hwaak..."
--the Penguin.

sk:

then england watched the euro continent rumble and quake
now uncle watches the arab world
in similar dudgeon

Yes, but England didn't watch the continent with quite so unblinking or distant a mien.

Just saw Suleiman interviewed by Amanpour on ABC. He says Egypt is not ready for democracy and that this uprising is "somebody's else's idea."

sk:

Not only is Egypt not ready for democracy, but Mubarak is no dictator
either.

juan:

Consciously and not

Everyone everywhere
makes history
Everyday
''''''''''''''''

FDR relied upon center-left corporatism.

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