As IF Times

link Iran: Riots sign of Islamic awakening – Israel News, Ynetnews.

The most annoying thing about this article is not the rhetoric offered by the Supreme Religious poobah, because that kind of yada yada yada is expected from that camp.  What else is he going to say?  The virus of political upheaval has infected virtually all of the nations in the middle east beginning with Tunisia a month ago.  Apparently,  normally compliant citizens are spontaneously rising up as unruly mobs to throw off the yokes of dictatorial leaders who for years have kept them poor, oppressed and isolated from the outside world.   According to this Supreme Leader, the mobs want to make a change and would prefer to be oppressed, impoverished and isolated from the outside world by their version of Islamic fundamentalist leadership.  Not being a resident in that part of the world, it’s not that easy for me to differentiate between types of oppressive regimes.  This is not the absurdity that is amusing to me however.

The absurdity comes later on in the piece where it says that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mike Mullen,

“…told Jon Stewart’s “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central that he had spoken to his military counterparts in Egypt and was reassured they have no intention of firing on their own people…”

!!!!

Jon Stewart??? One of the most dangerous social  and political events of the past generation are unfolding before the world and the Admiral is interviewed by Jon Stewart??  Isn’t he a comic?  Wasn’t Stephen Colbert available? Is it not Stewarts’ job to amuse people?  For years, Stewart has been treating his loyal liberal audience with witty and biting ‘satire’ on the foibles of the political right.  When called on his outrageous comments, he smugly scurries back behind the screen of  “it’s comedy, you can’t take what I say seriously!”  There was a poll conducted a while ago in which it was determined that Jon Stewart was the most credible person representing the views of progressives in America.  This is alarming because Americans who follow and revere Stewart will think that clever irony and wit are more credible than genuine problem solving.  To a large extent,  this fantasy has gripped a large part of America today.  

Charisma and popularity are mistakenly confused with competence and experience.  That shortcoming is now obvious on the main political stage.  Social and political issues are real and they are complex.  When the opinions of actors, comedians and jugglers are more influential than those who actually have experience and knowledge in their fields, it can only lead to grief.  What if Admirals started doing stand up?  It’s very scary when people who purport to drive the discussions on the major issues of the day are on at 8pm, 7 central time.

link U.N.s Ban says Egypt transition should start now | Reuters.

How interesting that no less than the head of the United Nations, Ban Ki-Moon, should declare that the power shift in Egypt should begin sooner than later.  Hosni Mubarak, the long time autocrat of that nation has been under pressure to leave office not just from Egyptians but apparently from all world nations.  Just over a year ago, a similar show of popular uprising and dissent was directed against the repressive regime in Iran, yet strangely, the U.N. didn’t see fit to comment on the need for change in that nation.  As we may recall, the military was brought in to quell the voice of those brave enough to push for changes in that regime.    Even more amusing are the recent missives from the Iranian foreign ministry praising the protests in Egypt!

It’s the same tired pattern of liberal mouthpieces calling for restraint, tolerance and compassion, but only for select groups of people and certainly not for themselves.  It was amusing that during the Iranian ‘uprising’, as the demonstrators were being beaten, there were calls for ‘restraint’ on both sides.  As if.  I guess one side restrains from beating and the other side restrains from bleeding.  

If the U.N. were the institution of freedom and fairness which it laughably purports to be, why doesn’t  it regularly chastise those regimes that legitimize the enslavement of women, the suppression of free speech and the intolerance of other religions and promotes active belligerence with the rest of the world.  By coincidence Iran comes to  mind. 

If the U.N. were so concerned about the rights and freedoms of the population in Egypt, why don’t they propose some kind of provisional authority to help in the transition?  Left on their own and without any credible leader, the population is vulnerable to radical opportunists who would step in and take control during a power vacuum.  If that happens,  kiss any thoughts of freedom and tolerance goodbye. 

In that case, they’ll go back to pleading for tolerance and restraint on both sides.