Naked Capitalism link of the day

Today's choice: The Empire's Bagman at Counterpunch.  I won't say much about Egypt.  I really don't know much about it.  I tend to like the idea of people throwing out dictators and establishing freer governments, but Americans seem to make events like this about us.  We make it sound like Egyptians are risking their lives to be more like us.  Then we start wondering about who we should be supporting, whether one group or another is better for the US and Israel.  I hate to say this, but not everything is about the US and Israel.  What is the most important outcome of this is whats good for Egypt.  Anyway, this article deals with a guy who deals with our strongman ally in Egypt.  This portion hit home:

Obama came to Cairo in 2009, and said, "America does not presume to know what is best for everyone." Those words should have been cast in gold and placed in the portico of the White House. Instead, they drift like wisps in the wind, occasionally sighted for propaganda purposes, but in a time of crisis, hidden behind the clouds of imperial interests (or those of Tel Aviv). America presumes to know, and presumes to have a say equivalent to those of the millions who have thronged Egypt's squares, streets and television sets (one forgets about the protests of the latter, too tired to get to the square, nursing sick children or adults, a bit fearful, but no less given over to anger at the regime).

Maintaining empire is ugly business.  The British were damn good at ignoring all the dirty stuff going on.  It turns my stomach.  Let me stay in my rural community, and not take an active role in it.