Daily Topics - Monday January 31st, 2011

Truthout is proud to bring you an exclusive series from America's No. 1 progressive radio host, Thom Hartmann. We'll be publishing weekly installments, "Rebooting the American Dream."
Hour One: A look inside the youth revolution in Egypt - Professor Stephen Zunes, UCSF - www.stephenzunes.org
Hour Two: Should children get life in prison for murder? Former Prosecutor Robin Bond - www.robinbond.com
Hour Three: A look inside Egypt's youth revolution - Professor Jason Brownlee - https://webspace.utexas.edu/jmb334/www/
Comments

Thom,
How do you like the corporate 24/7 news blackout on Egypt? Or the Obama Administration's deer in the headlights surprise? There weren't any warnig signs? Tunisia, Yemen, growing street riots in Cairo?
I study media, and this weekend all we got from corporate media 24/7 are the same pictures, over and over, and over... punditry and worse, out and out repetitive lies from every corporate channel in America. Here's an example; it had been widely reported around the World on Saturday morning that the Egyptian Army has sided with the populace. In fact twenty-four Egyptian Army tanks invaded the downtown Cairo public square, with about twenty revolutionaries sitting on top of each one late Friday night, early Saturday morning. NOT ONE American channel reported this. NOT ONE! In fact, they were deliberately spinning and lying the entire time! The pictures I saw from European press and Al Jezera looked like the fall of Havana or Saigon!
Uh, "protesters?"No, REVOLUTIONARIES! "It maybe time for some reforms?" Uh, a little late for that don't ya think? This from Anderson Cooper on CNN last night (I'm paraphrasing): I looks like maybe some of the elements of the Army are starting to appear sympathetic to the "protestorsers".... And, bull puckey like: It's starting to look like there is begining and growing anti - US sentiment in the streets... Really? I got news for CNN and Andersen Cooper: This is no less than an Anti-American Empire Revolution that is now burning in three countries in the Mid - East. And, this is just the beginning. This IS our East German moment in the Middle East. The dominoes are falling and American Empire is over. Somone ought to drive out to the Pentagon and tell 'em.
None of the major American channels reported another apalling fact. The US Chamber of Commerce is over there trying shore up Mubarak against the diplomatic efforts of our government? WTF? That's walking up damn close to the line of TREASON. Has US corporate news reported this? NO! Has Obama or Clinton said anything about this? NO! Are the majority of the American people in the dark about all of this? Isn't it just they way the powers that be like it?
The last vestige of raw power that Mubarak had this weekend was part, only part of the Egyptian Air Force. Did you see it was only a handful of planes buzzing the capital? Did your see the AAA guns on the personel carriers on the ground pointed skyward? That was a great big middle finger to those few Mubarak loyalists left (the Egyptian Air Force is an elitist institution) courtesy to of the Egyptian (now revolutionary) Army.
This won't be turned around. It's so obvious that all Obama and Clinton are trying to do now is buy time to get Mubarak out of there and try and control the succession of power. I saw corporate pundits all weekend on TV literally deciding who we should put in there next... Lovers of democracy my ass! And, Obama is allowing further corporate dominance of the media and control over the interenet and is planning a kill switch for the whole thing.
"THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE TELEVISED!"

Ahmed Chalibi ------------------------------------------
Thom, the guy you are thinking of is "Ahmed Chalibi". He was the Bush Administrations "exit strategy", as they planed to replace Saddam with him. But when no WMD's were found, everyone started asking questions, and eventually the Bushies turned on him and declared him to be an Iranian spy.

Thom, how I wish my history teacher had spoken of our country's birth in such a gripping manner as you have! We spoiled brats reaping the benefits of those who came before need to hear it in those terms!
What Corruption and Force Have Wrought in Egypt
"The rise of powerful Islamic parties appears inevitable. It appears inevitable not because of the Quran or a backward tradition, but because we and Israel believed we could bend the aspirations of the Arab world to our will through corruption and force." - Chris Hedges
http://www.truthdig.com/report/print/what_corruption_and_force_have_wrought_in_egypt_20110130/
This is a Must Read!