Bumpity Bump

Earlier I had posted about Mubarak's reaction to the Bush freedom initiative and saw it as a potential speed bump on the road to democracy in the Middle East. Yesterday it seemed that Mubarak was beginning to back down in the fact of American pressure, promising to hold multi-party elections. Now, reform seems a bit less likely. Jeff Jarvis links to several Egyptian bloggers who for the most part feel that Mubarak's concessions were forced from him and are not to be taken seriously. Some quotes:

Mubarak's decision today came after immense pressure from the US and the current earthquakes (the purple revolution in Iraq and the Hariri revolution in Lebanon) that shook the region days ago. However, I credit US pressure as the number one reason. Condoleezza Rice cancelled a trip to Egypt scheduled for next week because of the arrest of Ayman Nour and Mubarak's failure to "change". Well, it seems that Bush turned out to be bloody serious about this democracy in the Middle East thing. It also seems that Bushie will in fact make it to the history books that my grandchildren will be reading at school 50 years from today.

Now Mubarak is simply under too much external pressure (the wet cat in his lap) from the United Bush of America to get his act together and fast, and there was no avoiding it. After all if Mubarak is really giving in to the demands of "his people" then he must have just replaced the batteries in his hearing aid. The public have been screaming for reform, and the opposition only grew recent ballz when they felt the external pressure.

Not very eloquent, but you get the point. Mubarak is not to be trusted on this.