News Nuggets 547

A design for a solar-wind bridge.  See the Bridge Nugget below.  From Discovery News.

Not Just Egypt's Proud Moment, but Obama's (Peter Beinart) from the Daily Beast
"Forced to choose between national interests and national ideals, the Obama administration, and many of its fiercest domestic critics, chose ideals. That’s a remarkable achievement, writes Peter Beinart."

A Work in Progress for Obama's Doctrine (Marc Ambinder) from National Journal
"The hard truth Obama must now grapple with, and must then communicate to the American people, is that the revolution was fomented by an oppressed people who don’t much like America and don’t much like Israel -- and who risk ushering in a government that is less friendly to both. And yet, he must share the universal expression of joy that washed over Tahrir Square when news broke that Mubarak was out of Cairo, probably never to return."

Tanks vs. Twitter in Egypt (Kathleen Parker) from the Washington Post
"Rarely has a generational schism been so vivid. The guns and old hardware of Mubarak's regime versus the new software and nebulous nature of a digitally inspired revolt. Even speculating on what might happen next was beyond our primitive ken. Who knew what the next tweet might suggest or what wave of human movement it might inspire? … Superimposed on this unfolding drama were two generationally apposite faces - the brooding, sinister countenance of Mubarak versus the youthful, bespectacled Wael Ghonim, reluctant hero of the movement."

The US Can Overcome 9/11 Through 2/11 (Roger Cohen) from the New York Times
"We’ve tried invasions of Muslim lands. We’ve tried imposing new systems of government on them. We’ve tried wars on terror. We’ve tried spending billions of dollars. What we haven’t tried is tackling what’s been rotten in the Arab world by helping a homegrown, bottom-up movement for change turn a U.S.-backed police state into a stable democracy."
I align -- AND I suspect this is going to be VERY DIFFICULT to pull off. 

For those who think we should have thrown our weight behind Mubarak:
28 Hours in the Dark Heart of Egypt's Torture Machine from the Guardian [of the UK]
"A blindfolded Robert Tait could only listen as fellow captives were given electric shocks and beaten by Mubarak's security services."
Of course, the real neocon nut jobs (the John Boltons of this world) wanted us to have industrial strength torture machines of our own!

Mideast Unrest Spreads from the Wall Street Journal
"Protests Target Iran, Bahrain, Libya; Egypt Dissolves Parliament, Sets Elections."

Middle East Braces for More Protest After Mubarak Resigns from the Guardian [of the UK]
"News of Egyptian president's departure spread rapidly through region, where other authoritarian rulers are in power."

Egypt Military Reaffirms Civilian Control from the New York Times
"A new era dawned in Egypt on Saturday as this nation of 80 million — and hundreds of millions beyond its borders — began to absorb the fact that an 18-day mass movement of largely nonviolent protest brought down a nearly 30-year military dictatorship and renewed the country’s lease on life."

Ruling Egypt After Mubarak: Presidential Contenders Emerge from Time Magazine
"Even before President Hosni Mubarak left office on Friday, a number of hats were already in the ring to succeed him."
National elections do require credible national candidates -- so this is good.

What Was Mubarak Thinking? Inside the Mind of a Dictator from Time Magazine
"That Mubarak at last did heed the will of his people is a good and sensible thing for him to have done. That it took him so long says a lot about what goes on in the mind of a dictator and how hard it can be to make him see the world the way everyone else does."

Arab Rulers Confront a New World (David Gardner) from the Financial Times [of London]
"Tunisia’s Jasmine Revolution last month blew a hole in the armour of the Arab security state, and the lazily settled opinion that Arab autocracies, with their backbone in the military and their nervous system in the security services, were bulletproof. Egypt’s Nile Revolution is of altogether another order.  It has dropped a great boulder into the stagnant pool of Arab despotism that will set waves coursing across the region. Egypt’s insurgents did not just take power from Hosni Mubarak. They have leeched it from every autocrat in the Arab world."

With Access to Information, the Liberation of Arab Lands Has Begun from the Asahi Shimbun [of Japan in English]
"The democratization of the Middle East has now begun, with the youth using tools like Twitter and Facebook. For these young people, who exchange their own opinions and news via the Internet, statements from leaders and government are no longer so easy to swallow. … . At long last, it's out with the old and in with the new."

What Democracy Will Bring the Arab World (Rami Khouri) from the Daily Star [of Lebanon in English]
"he overthrow of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and the transitions to new governance systems in Egypt and Tunisia – with others sure to follow – promise the birth of a more democratic, humanistic Arab world, assuming the transitions persist, which I believe is certain. Here are 10 things that may emerge from the current changes and which will determine if real democratization is underway."

Arab Leaders, Facing Calls for Reform, Consider Next Move from the New York Times
"Across the Arab world on Friday, thousands of people poured into the streets to celebrate the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt after nearly three weeks of demonstrations against his almost 30-year rule."

Algerian Protesters Clash with Police as Egypt Fervour Spreads from the Guardian [of the UK]
"400 arrested as officers enforce no-protest ban in Algiers.  Up to 5,000 protesters rally in Yemeni capital of Sana'a.  Arab leaders make concessions to avoid repeat of Egypt."

Yemen: Pro-Government Forces Attack Demonstrators from Human Rights Watch
"Hundreds of men armed with knives, sticks, and assault rifles attacked anti-government protesters in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, as Yemeni security forces stood by, Human Rights Watch said today. Within an hour, the 1,000-plus protesters had been pushed from the square and at least 10 had been detained by security forces, Human Rights Watch said."
Some analysis of these demonstrations is HERE.

Iran's Green Opposition Calls Rally Despite Government Ban from the Guardian [of the UK]
"Committee gathers support and asserts constitutional right to protest."
These folks are very brave.  I don't have a lot of confidence that Iran's Green Movement is in any condition to really take on the regime right now -- but, who knows?  In retrospect, it's clear that the Green Movement back in 2009 clearly presaged what has been happening in Tunisia and Egypt.  Maybe they will have some new tricks up their sleeve.

Bahrain Opposition Calls for Rally from Al Jazeera English
"Opposition groups call for protests on Monday as riot police clash with youths in Shia village in the west."

The impact of Egypt is not limited to the Middle East or to Arab states:
Russian Reaction to Egypt Restrained & Cautious from The Hindu [of India in English]
"Moscow's restraint was prompted, among other things, by concerns that the wave of unrest sweeping the Middle East and North Africa could lead to the radicalisation of the region — a major source of militants and money for Islamic insurgency in Russia's North Caucasus in the mid-1990s and early 2000s."

Eat The Future (Paul Krugman) from the New York Times
"On Friday, House Republicans unveiled their proposal for immediate cuts in federal spending. Uncharacteristically, they failed to accompany the release with a catchy slogan. So I’d like to propose one: Eat the Future."

When Democracy Weakens (Bob Herbert) from the New York Times
"As the throngs celebrated in Cairo, I couldn’t help wondering about what is happening to democracy here in the United States. I think it’s on the ropes. We’re in serious danger of becoming a democracy in name only. While millions of ordinary Americans are struggling with unemployment and declining standards of living, the levers of real power have been all but completely commandeered by the financial and corporate elite."

The GOP Cannot Control Its Own Noise Machine (The Egypt Edition) from Media Matters for America
"For sane observers, it will be hard to watch Beck's fear mongering tonight and not, on some level, laugh at the sad spectacle that the host has become as he sprints to the wrong side of history and digs in for the long haul. But imagine how painful Beck's performance tonight will be for pundits and leaders associated with the conservative movement in this country, and specifically the right-wing media."

Dems Look to Giffords for Senate Seat from Politico
"The race for Arizona’s open Senate seat has quickly focused in on one question: What will Gabrielle Giffords do?"
Um… there is something deeply unseemly and even offensive about these types of conversations.  The woman can barely speak, has months, probably years, of hard-slogging therapy to endure, and who knows the extent of damage to her deeper mental processes -- and you already have people wanting to exploit her tragedy to thrust her into some Senate race, one that (to be really meaningful) would have to seriously start in the next six months.  Crazy.

A related item:
Word and Lyric, Giffords Labors to Speak Again from the New York Times
"Representative Gabrielle Giffords, an eloquent speaker before she was shot in the head last month, is relearning the skill — progressing from mouthing words and lip-syncing songs to talking briefly by telephone to her brother-in-law in space."
And, in the spirit of the previous article, what, prey, was her first audible sentence? "What … are … my latest polling numbers?"

Incumbents, Beware (Charlie Cook) from the National Journal
"Redistricting was very, very good to House members from both parties a decade ago. Don’t expect it to happen again."

FUTURISTIC BRIDGE NUGGET!!
Building a Bridge Out of Wind: PICTURES from Discovery News
"If it's going to be possible to get all of our energy from renewable sources by 2030, we're going to need to get creative about where we put those solar panels and wind turbines. You have to give the designers of the "Solar Wind" bridge kudos for creativity then, as they have proposed a bridge that can generate enough renewable energy to power 115,000 homes."

VALENTINE'S DAY NUGGET!!
America's Most Romantic Main Streets (PHOTOS) from the Huffington Post
"The National Trust for Historic Preservation released their list of the most romantic Main streets in the America, just in time for Valentine's Day. The adorable streets--some of them romantically paved with cobblestones--are ideal for strolling lovers young and old."
Where's Main Street in East Liberty in Pittsburgh?  You have seductive views of Beer World and Jake's Notary.  What else could you possibly want?