Yes, Egypt Is Important, But What About America?
by James Glaser
February 1, 2011

I find it amazing how a country on the other side of the world can replace all of our problems, or at least move them off the front page.

Egypt is in turmoil, and all of a sudden it no longer matters that millions and millions of Americans are out of work. President Obama gives his State of the Union Speech and then... nothing.

Many Americans thought after that speech our elected officials in Washington would be rolling up their sleeves with thoughts about how to turn our economy around.

But no, Egypt is far more important than millions of Americans out of work or the millions more someplace in the foreclosure process. Besides that, people burning police cars, and American made tear gas canisters flying back and forth between the police and protesters is a much sexier story.

Every top television media type gets to fly to Cairo and wear that starched, pressed, khaki outfit they had hanging in the closet. MSNBC even sent their business anchor, Erin Burnett, over there. America's media loves to see the smoke rising from the actions of an unruly mob, no matter where is the world it is. And if they are not unruly, the media will make them look that way.

For the media, revolution is fun, but trying to get people back to work is boring. It must also be boring for Congress and the White House. Who wants to argue about deficits and stimulus packages when there is blood in the streets? Never mind that those streets are 6,000 miles away.

Perhaps the truth is that the trouble in Egypt gives President Obama and the House Republicans more time to try and figure out what they can do to turn our domestic problems around. Nobody seems to have any good ideas, and just maybe when this Egyptian story dies, some other Arab country will erupt in violence. At least that is what Washington can hope for. Anything, anything at all. They aren't picky. As long as it keeps the spot light off what they aren't doing for the American people.

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