Obama E Neuman

What? Me worry? Well there are more important things in life than the fate of Egypt and its consequences for Middle Easter peace - like partying.

Everyone is nervously eyeing (sic) Egypt, wondering if strong man M. Mubarak will survive or whether he will be toppled by the multitude clamoring for  . . .  what exactly are they clamoring for?  Therein lies the rub.  Most responsible commentators, I would argue, worry that although “freedom,” “democracy,” and “self-determination” are on their lips, sharia and theocratic tyranny may well be in their hearts.

Mr. Riedel-Newman is having none of it. In a remarkable piece for The Daily Beast called “Don’t Fear the Muslim Brotherhood,” he assures readers that the Brotherhood has long since renounced violence and may well be the “most reasonable” option for Egypt. To listen to Mr. Riedel-Neuman, you would think that the Muslim Brotherhood was nearly indistinguishable from a Great Society social welfare program: “it has an enormous social-welfare infrastructure that provides cheap education and health care.” It even worked hard, according to Mr. Riedel-Neuman, to assure fair elections in Egypt last time around.