Egypt Again Again, and Ed

As Egypt celebrates one must resist the temptation to do likewise (a silent fist-pump may, if necessary, be excused). Mubarak’s resignation is, needless to say, something of which the Egyptian populace can be very proud. The responsibility falls upon those in the know, however, to highlight the dangers of hastily appointing bag-grabbers and opportunists, such as Yussuf al-Qaradawi. As ever, check in with Michael Totten from time to time, and why not pre-order his book while you’re at it. Also, for more, see Lee Smith on the subject. He writes:

As a media personality with a presence on TV and the Internet—and who is far out of reach of Egyptian internal security and free from Egyptian censors—Qaradawi is perfectly positioned to play the role of Muslim Brotherhood publicist or even kingmaker over the coming months. Nor is there any particular reason to think that Qaradawi’s willingness to embrace facets of modernity while promoting violence and hatred makes him less than dangerous to the dream of a future liberal society in Egypt and to Western interests in the region.

Speaking of which, as a touching little aside, God, or, excuse me, Ed O’Brien of Radiohead writes on Dead Air Space about the impact, influence, and significance of social media outlets as a means of mobilizing people while unifying and concretizing a new generation of politically active young people. If, on the other hand, you’re tired of all this jip about Cairo and shit, remind yourself of why one should pray twice daily to Mr. O’Brien by watching his classic performance during Fake Plastic Trees at their Haiti benefit gig last year (skip to about 6.45). It’s pretty real.