“otto: well, Egypt gets a healthy feed of cash from the US to play nice with Israel – which helps stability quite a bit, I’m sure.”

…….that’s the danegeld we’re paying for Egyptian good behavior but the regime is at least as repressive as that of Iran……the downside of course as happened in Iran is that the “geld” is spread amongst a oligarchic class and most of it never reaches the common folks and at some point the place blows up……..when Mubarak departs we need to be very nervous……not immediately but in the inevitably volatile aftermath when different factions and individuals jockey for power

you’re right about the neocons. nothing they say about Iran can be read without the filter of their desire to have invaded that country about 5 years ago, and ongoing frustration that it continues not to happen.

Of all the things George Bush did while in office, in the long run the most valuable single thing may have been telling Dick Cheney “no” when Cheney was chomping at the bit to bomb or invade Iran.

“MI-GOPer — who are the mullah’s you’re referring to in “critical of the democrat party & their mullahs plundering the US treasury and our civil institutions”?”

…….Mullah gopher?……gopher has many roles……Emily Post yesterday…….the mad mullah today

Otto: Not that the same wouldn’t be true of say Saudia Arabia or Egypt

“Well, essentially there is a truth to the idea that Iran is being run very poorly.”

……And Egypt is being well run?…..I agree largely about the nature of the regime in Iran although having visited Iran in the early 90’s it’s not as oppressive as you might think which is why I suspect it still has (narrowly) majority support……my point was that Ledeen and all the other neocons have emasculated their cred on this issue because of lies and distortions mainly because to them it’s all about Israel.

Oh yeah, my Village Idiot. That would explain Cuba, for instance, and dozens of other countries. Those mismanaged countries fall like rain drops. Yeah, you play with that tune a bit more –it has zero harmony.

Well, essentially there is a truth to the idea that Iran is being run very poorly. Which is why the US should keep our noses out of there, except to continue to focus international pressure on Iran’s nuclear program.

Countries that are that poorly mismanaged, with no democratic means to effect real change, implode on themselves. But tyrants can hold onto power longer by focussing people’s anger on foreign enemies.

What does NancyPelosi have to do with this thread?

Oh, you’re upset about the reference to your idol Rachel Madcow’s scratch and sniff scorn? I’m sorry the truth offends you BlankHead.

How many seconds to a denial that you never listen to Rachel? It’s more convincing if you take off your BlankHead (hearts) Rachel pj’s.