The Arabist

The Arabist

By Issandr El Amrani and friends.

Conspiracy galore in Egypt

The Lede's Robert Mackey has a great round-up of how the conspiratorial thinking that led to the protest against Hillary Clinton's visit in Egypt started:

The news that Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s motorcade was pelted with shoes and tomatoes by Egyptian protesters, who also taunted her by chanting “Monica! Monica!” as she left the U.S. consulate in Alexandria on Sunday, delighted conservative bloggers in the United States.

What has attracted less attention, however, is the extent to which the Egyptians who vented their rage during Mrs. Clinton’s visit appear to have been inspired by fears that the Obama administration harbors a secret, pro-Islamist agenda which originated with American conservatives.

You really have to read the whole thing, especially the bit where some idiotic tweep thinks the regular aid given the Egyptian military was given to the Brotherhood.

I am frequently astounded by the level of stupidity in Egyptian political discourse but the current felool/secularist/Coptic alliance (although I think a minority of these respective groups are taking part, they are quite vocal) against Morsi in the current deadlock is both moronic and incredibly unpatriotic and undemocratic. That protest against Clinton was led by Tawfik Okasha — these people deserve to be held in just as much contempt as he is. The silver lining is that they are making themselves irrelevant, doing everyone else a favor in the process.

(Edited because an error had left pasted text from above-linked article)