Jon Meacham On The Egypt Crisis And Liberty (VIDEO)

PBS:

Precisely 18 months ago, on June 4, 2009, President Obama traveled to Cairo -- that "timeless city," as he called it -- to address the Islamic world. Committed to "governments that reflect the will of the people," the president called on those in power to "govern with respect for all their people."

Read the whole story: PBS

Comments

[WhatDaBleep]

10:10 AM on 02/06/2011

Now - the United States has to practice what it preaches to its own people. This will happen here is our elected officials keep allowing the corporations to run our government and suppress our freedoms and our right to prosper.

[texlib2112]

09:33 AM on 02/06/2011

Eloquent and very thoughtful.

[SparkyDash]

11:04 PM on 02/05/2011

Good essay, Mr. Meacham.

[bamz]

10:42 PM on 02/05/2011

hw was a humane neocon, who supported the war, I dont care for the difference of a degree or two, a chickenhawk is a chickenhawk

[justitia]

08:25 PM on 02/05/2011

The sad part is that this has been going on for many years yet nothing is being done to stop it. We just keep repeating the same mistake.

[Jayjaybe]

10:04 PM on 02/05/2011

This has been going on for many years around the globe. Egypt is one of the milder examples. Whose mistake is it? Former colonies have rarely become models of self-government. Monarchies, sheikdoms, tribal wars, petty dictators, major dictators, genocides, and very little resemblance to mythical democracy. Whose mistake is it?

[OliverTwist]

08:22 PM on 02/05/2011

Our fundamental problem here in the United States is that we haven't agreed among ourselves what interests the United States ought to pursue.

Our government has for some time been acting on the premise that whatever is good for business is good for America.

But many Americans - maybe even most Americans - don't think that is true these days.

Further than that - it is not even clear that there is a significant coherence of belief in America about much of anything any more.

People yearn for "the center" - but when they try to go there they either can'y find it or they find they are almost alone.

[Trogenhorse]

12:25 AM on 02/06/2011

I must respect your analysis. Thank you for bringing it

[Soulsurfer]

10:10 AM on 02/06/2011

Fanned. Spot on.

[Jackie O]

06:51 PM on 02/05/2011

Crash jP Morgan
BUY SILVER

[Yasmine]

09:27 PM on 02/05/2011

Jackie O

WHY CRASH JP Morgan ? what have you got against my bank ?
We should never wish the Crash for any American person or institution , specially publically.

about your silver advice.: I bet you bought SILVER and would like it to go HIgher.
would it be good if i wished your SILVER to CRASH ??
Be careful wishing bad things for others. is not good.

[Jackie O]

09:18 AM on 02/06/2011

Yasmine
Do you know JP Morgan makes money off the food stamp program?
http://www.benzinga.com/11/01/788303/the-more-americans-that-go-on-food-stamps-the-more-money-jp-morgan-makes
Do you know a person named Anderw Maguire was almost killed of reporting JP Morgan's manipulation of market
JP Morgan silver manipulation
http://www.chroniclewatch.com/2010/04/16/who-is-andrew-maguire-hint-jp-morgan/

do you know there are over 30 lawsuits against JP

do you know you are soon to get hit with new fees in your JP account(s)
Jasmine do some research as to whats really going on here!

[Yasmine]

09:28 PM on 02/05/2011

AGREED
faved

[mujino]

04:30 PM on 02/05/2011

voices of reason are speaking up in us; let the truth telling be celebrated.

[Peter007]

03:50 PM on 02/05/2011

John Meachams article rings hollow,. Its obvious that there have been injustices in Egypt. It's obvious that the US has been behind many of the oppressive regimes in the world. Meacham is stating the obvious but fails to connect the lack of liberty and freedom with any particular policy or administration.

Sorry,... being against oppressive governments also must mean standing up against the minor abuses that occur daily right here in this country. The Patriot Act is a case in point. The TSA is another. Mandatory health care laws another, Crony Capitalism and domestic job protectionism another.

I'm sure the reason why Mubarak violates human rights is for the good of some larger cause. He is doing it for the good of the nation.
Reducing the freedoms of Americans by the current and past administrations also have the best interest of the nation at heart. Standing up against these "moderately" offensive laws would be a better show or indication that one values freedom.
Standing up an obvious villain like Mubarak is easy. Too easy.

[justitia]

08:24 PM on 02/05/2011

"I'm sure the reason why Mubarak violates human rights is for the good of some larger cause. He is doing it for the good of the nation.
Reducing the freedoms of Americans by the current and past administra­tions also have the best interest of the nation at heart. Standing up against these "moderatel­y" offensive laws would be a better show or indication that one values freedom."

So, you're sure of the reasons you can't even name? You can't even name the reasons for repression that past governments have committed after many years? Wow, only a nation of suckers can have that kind of government.

[Peter007]

12:44 PM on 02/06/2011

The reasons for oppressive laws are usually for security, the safety of the majority, the betterment of society.

[OliverTwist]

08:35 PM on 02/05/2011

Meacham is hindered in his thinking by his belief that this is a "center right" nation.

[Yasmine]

09:45 PM on 02/05/2011

Hi Oliver
It has been repeated so much that PUNDITS do not dare contradict or question this Falsehood.
Goebelian propaganda works...........the bigger the lie the more people will believe it.
the more it is repeated .........people will be brainswashed.
THEY keep saying Centre RIGHT.........but i ask if the CENTER is right, then the center right cannot be right anymore.
In a country that has so many unemployed and so many under the poverty line, so many children poor..........and a country that claims to be CHRISTIAN .it cannot be Center Right.
Jesus would be CENTER LEFT.

[capt ayhab]

02:23 PM on 02/05/2011

I respect Jon Meachen greatly for his unbiased and in-dept analysis of the issues.

[OliverTwist]

08:36 PM on 02/05/2011

He's a thinker - but not unbiased.

[donjoe4]

02:12 PM on 02/05/2011

he's a republican tool

[mandennis]

01:48 PM on 02/05/2011

Memo to MSNBC, NBC

Replace David Gregory with Jon Meacham.

[XFilesTheTruthIsOutThere]

03:58 PM on 02/05/2011

I second the motion

[liveordie]

01:45 PM on 02/05/2011

Meacham has never been one to shy away from pragmatism.

[OliverTwist]

08:36 PM on 02/05/2011

There you go.

[myaa]

01:39 PM on 02/05/2011

Well said!