Posted on 01/29/2011 11:36:45 AM PST by Sub-Driver
Chris Matthews Blames Egypt Riots on George W. Bush and Iraq War By Noel Sheppard Created 01/29/2011 - 12:17pm
By Noel Sheppard | January 29, 2011 | 12:17 Noel Sheppard's picture
It's a metaphysical certitude that whenever anything happens in the Middle East, the media will quickly blame former President George W. Bush and the war in Iraq.
Not missing the opportunity to do so, Chris Matthews began the 5PM installment of "Hardball" Friday connecting the riots in Egypt to a man that has been out of office for two years (video follows with transcript and commentary):
CHRIS MATTHEWS, HOST: Trouble on the Nile.
Let`s play HARDBALL.
Good evening. I`m Chris Matthews in Washington.
Leading off tonight: Unrest in Egypt. Proving the Iraq war wasn`t needed, these protests in Egypt, as well as in Yemen and Tunisia, are all aimed at dictators supported by the U.S. The demonstrations have not yet turned anti-American, but they could. These are the events the Bush administration hoped to encourage by lying about weapons of mass destruction and invading Iraq. A live report from Richard Engel at the scene coming up. And we`ll stay on this story throughout the hour as events warrant.
Riots and a potential revolution in Egypt prove the Iraq war wasn't needed?
How does one come to that conclusion? Who on Matthews' staff decided that the perfect way to lead off Friday's program was by linking the unrest in Egypt to Bush and Iraq?
Didn't these folks learn anything from their rush to judgment over this month's shootings in Tucson?
This seems especially important as Matthews' guest through much of the program - NBC's Richard Engel reporting from Cairo - didn't say anything about these riots being in any way related to Iraq, anti-Americanism, or Bush.
From what Engel could tell, this is all about the high poverty and unemployment rates in Egypt along with continued disgust with the corruption of the government.
Matthews himself said, "The demonstrations have not yet turned anti-American."
So why suggest they are or will? Are viewers to believe that if Saddam Hussein was still in power in Iraq, folks in Egypt would be happy with the corruption in their country as well as the high unemployment and poverty?
Beyond this, Egypt is and has been a strong ally of the United States and plays a pivotal role in keeping peace in the region as a result of its treaty with Israel. Why would Bush or any President want to see a revolution in this country that could tremendously destabilize this entire part of the world sending oil prices to all-time highs and undermining the economy?
As it turned out, Matthews never got to answer such a question or elaborate on his absurd opening as breaking events out of Egypt, including an address by President Hosni Mubarak, dominated the entire hour.
But one has to wonder what if anything the folks at MSNBC learned from their rush to judgment when they incorrectly blamed the Tucson shootings on conservatives.
Are these people capable of toning down their own rhetoric and avoiding jumping the accusation shark every time news breaks, or is advancing their agenda the only thing that matters and all this civility talk was just a smokescreen to silence the Right?
Maybe more importantly, has Matthews foreshadowed what we should expect from so-called journalists in the coming days and that despite all evidence to the contrary, whatever happens in Egypt is going to be blamed on Bush?
Stay tuned.
Chris Mathews OFF his meds again!
Why this guy has a program is beyond me. He is the WORST interviewer I’ve ever heard. He ask a question 5 different ways, then answers it himself...what planet???
Also, isn't 0bama the president that was supposed to make the world love us in the wake of the Bush presidency? Two years, later and folks are still angry at us...I don't think you can blame that on Bush.
There is as much chance that Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhour are to blame for this because of Operation Ajax back in 1953 Iran when the USA helped to overthrow Mohammed Mossadeq and re-install the Shah of Iran. But Chris Matthews probably is ignorant of that event.
In that case, these Egyptians are going to love their life under Muslim Brotherhood rule. Their standard of living will improve to nearly that of those in the Gaza Strip.
OTOH, if this all turns out well then the Bush meme will disappear and the Obama the Foreign Policy Master meme will emerge - just more O-magic brought to you by the MSM.
Trying anything to deflect the blame zer0 is going to be catching.
Won’t work. Zer0s watch
To a certain degree you are right...Democratic Regime Change was indeed a part of the Bush Doctrine. My suspicion is that the State Department develops startegy that is intended to endure from administration to administration. They just give the name of that strategy to the president that is seated in the White House at the time.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bush_Doctrine#Democratic_regime_change
Does anyone really that Jimmy Carter really developed the Carter Doctrine? After all, he's been against his own doctrine ever since he left the White House.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carter_Doctrine
It is all the idiot knows.
He hasnt anything else. Without Bush to blame Chrissy the sissy is out of business.
Probably?
And I owe the FReeper who said that Bush would be blamed for this money.
Just throwin this out there - feeling generous...
A “news” show that immediately follows the CM boondogle with the sole purpose of refudiating everything he says.
Kind of like a “point counterpoint” type of thing.
Gotta go all in tho. Can’t just say well, hannity , levin, rush will refudiate.
Show needs to be called something to call out Matthews. Something provacative
Mubarik has been there for 30 years. How can you blame that on Bush? Reagan, Bush 41, Clinton, Bush 43, and now Obama have been president since this monarchy took over. Take a look at the fact that a lot of the worlds oil passes through the Suez Canal, and that Mubarik is better than having terrorists control the canal. Now we can look at why American presidents and Americans in general remain slaves to the oil coming from the middle east. Its time to drill for our own oil, supply ourselves with energy and get the hell out of the anarchy that eventually comes around when supporting any nation in the middle east. Examples are Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Kuwait, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, etc....
The war in Iraq did not spur on this battle. It happens because the power grab always results in the monarchs getting rich while the people suffer.
I'm not blaming Bush for Mubarik. Bush basically told Mubarik via a Condi speech in Cairo 2005 that he needed to get his act together. Mubarik didn't get the message. That Bush/Condi policy is now playing out. It may turn out well and it may not. If it plays out well then it will be Obama Policy. If it turns out poorly then it will be Bush Policy.
In any case you can listen to that Condi speech yourself HERE
I’m sorry if I jumped on you over it, but I am tired of blaming Bush for everything. A brief history of the middle east from WWII forward makes it easy to understand that then and now, the real issue comes down to our dependence on oil. There is little chance that this turns out good. I think it results in anarchy that will hurt all western nations as we continue to pussy foot around with the oil producing nations.
I think it’s time that MSNBC be officially made an annex of Bellevue.
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