Monday, February 7, 2011

Sarah Palin's Stand Against Egyptian Self-Determination

While taking jabs at the Obama Administration's handling of the Egyptian uprising over the weekend, Sarah Palin once again showed why she is unfit to lead this or any country.

In a weekend interview, the former Alaskan governor was critical of the White House for "not doing enough" regarding Egypt.While any true conservative or libertarian should be critical of the administration's handling of the situation (Likewise, they should also have been critical of US policies leading up to this crisis.), Palin argues for a position that is perhaps even more flawed than that of the White House.

Politico reports:
Palin said the administration must get more information and find out who "fills now the void in the government." She said the U.S. "should not stand" for an Egypt led by the Muslim Brotherhood.
She did not offer specifics for how she would handle the crisis, saying only: "We need strength and sound mind there in the White House. We need to know what it is that America stands for so we know who it is that America will stand with."
In speaking out about the administration's handling of Egypt, Palin joins at least two other possible GOP 2012 presidential candidates — Newt Gingrich and John Bolton.
Palin has indeed firmly joined with the neoconservatives on this issue as she often does. Likewise, her comments show an alarming disdain for State sovereignty. To say that the United States "should not stand" for an Egypt led by the Muslim Brotherhood is truly outrageous.

Egypt is a sovereign nation, and the people of Egypt--not the US--should and must decide who will lead their country forward. I must admit that my knowledge of the Muslim Brotherhood is quite limited, but many credible sources claim that the group would not necessarily be bad for the country. However, even if they would be, the Egyptians have the right to self-determination. They must forge their own path into the future, and the United States must stop interfering with the affairs of Egypt--whether we are propping up dictators or trying to "spread democracy."

Of course, calling on the United States to return to a foreign policy envisioned by the Founders, leaving the Egyptians to move forward and govern themselves according to their own desires, is anathema to Palin and her neo-con cronies. For Palin, anything less than the US choosing and propping up a hand-picked puppet is unacceptable. 
In typical Palin style, her comments feature a partisan attack, offer no solution, and lacks any clear understanding of the issue. Palin would have us further entangle ourselves in a situation we have already had too much of a hand in. Her position is all-around flawed. It is wrong. It is unconstitutional, and it runs counter to the American Founding vision.

As for me, unlike Sarah Palin, I stand with the Egyptian people against overbearing government--whether that government is in Cairo or DC.