Good News

This is the only good news Michael Totten could find in Egypt. It came in an exchange with Egyptian blogger Big Pharaoh, who was showing him around Cairo:

“Can we talk about politics out in the open?” I said.

“Yes,” he said. “We can say whatever we want.”

“Is it because we’re speaking in English?”

“No,” he said. “We could do it in Arabic, too.”

“You’re not worried about the secret police?”

“Not any more,” he said. “It is a real change from last year. Last year there was no way. But it’s better now, more open. Do you know why?”

“No,” I said. “Tell me.”

“Because of pressure from George W. Bush.”

That is the only piece of good news I have to report from Egypt.

The rest of Michael’s excellent post is a litany of the many political problems and challenges Egypt faces. It’s sad, and (despite the above) not particularly optimistic. When I finished reading it, I felt very sad for the Big Pharaoh, who seems to be torn between wanting to help Egypt become a modern secular society and escaping to America (or Canada, his second choice apparently only because it would make it easy for him to visit America. There’s some interesting discussion, with some local insight, on the situation in Iran as well. Though sad, it’s an insightful piece and well worth reading…