QUOTE OF THE DAY – AT 8:56 A.M. ET:  On the so-called "Arab spring," rapidly turning into a Mideast nightmare, from Arnaud de Borchgrave of The Washington Times: 

The Arab Spring was a western construct, based on the illusory hope of real democracy - hence, the Egyptian army high command’s determination to hang on to real power behind the scenes. It will resist any move that might provoke Israeli retaliation. But to placate Islamists, the army will be less accommodating with Israel on minor border issues.

Next door in Libya, the array of weapons and ammunition stashed in underground depots is staggering. And it would be nothing short of a miracle if al Qaeda’s supporters hadn’t absconded with some of what the new Libyan armed forces discovered in the Sokna and Al-Rawagha regions near the Niger and Chad borders: stockpiles of nerve and mustard gas. A plant was built with special barrels for the production of these agents with a capacity of 10,000 liters.

Scores of old Soviet SAM-7 anti-aircraft missile launchers as well as mortars and artillery pieces with shells were left unguarded for months.

New Libyan leaders from all walks of life are now feeling each other out to determine who might be best qualified to assess the country’s defense needs. They say they need another 100 days.

On the eastern side of the Mediterranean Sea, Syria is, by all accounts, another Arab country in the throes of a civilian revolution against the army - not good news there, either. Salafists and Muslim Brotherhood sympathizers were busy there, too.

COMMENT:  Well said.  The old Arab regimes were and are obnoxious.  But who is replacing them?  That's where the new nightmare begins.   The traditional Arab practice is "one man, one vote, one time."  Elsewhere in his column, de Borchgrave points out that both Mussolini and Hitler were elected.

We are heading for a tumultuous year in the Mideast.  It is a region of immense importance, in part because we get so much of our oil from Mideast sources.  Yet, the critical oil pipeline from Canada is being held up by environmental extremists, who have this administration in a lock grip.

Thanks, Barack.  Thanks for the hope 'n change.

December 14, 2011