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Stephen Colbert interviews Christiana Amanpour on Egypt (Video)

At the beginning of the Egyptian Revolution Stephen Colbert noted the amazing ability of animals to predict world events such as the World Cup winner.  Colbert then famously brought out his cat "Christiana Aman-purr" to choose between a cat food bowl of "democratic uprising" and "Islamic power grab."  Unfortunately the cat did not choose either option, so Colbert brought out ABC News correspondent and anchor Christiana Amanpour to talk about Egypt.  Amanpour took the joke well, even giving Colbert a correspondent's outfit for his cat in the future.  Colbert and Amanpour then went on to have a fairly educational discussion on what the future holds for Egypt.

Amanpour said that she believed "democratic uprising" was the more likely result of the revolution.  Amanpour downplayed the threat of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, saying that a straw poll showed the group getting less than 1% of the vote in the next presidential election.  Amanpour's analysis reflects the broader consensus which sees the Muslim Brotherhood as just one group of many jostling for power in the country.  Most believe the Muslim Brotherhood only appeals to a tiny minority of Egyptians, most of whom are more secular in nature.

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Colbert then asked if the revolutionary movement would last in the Middle East.  Amanpour stated that there is real hunger for democracy and freedom in the Middle East which is likely to spur on more movements.  However, Amanpour said that in many countries it will come down how many people are willing to die and how many soldiers are willing to obey orders to shoot at their own citizens. 

Amanpour interviewed former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in the days before he resigned.  She said he looked strong and healthy, seeming to contradict rumors that he is suffering from a serious medical condition.

At the end of the interview Amanpour disagreed with the view of some conservatives, who believe that the people of the Middle East cannot be trusted to elect their own leaders.  Amanpour stated that if the United States truly stands for democracy it should support the right of the people to vote in all circumstances.  Finally, Amanpour stated she believe a democratic society would, in the end, be more civil and friendly to the United States than an autocratic regime.

, Political Buzz Examiner

Ryan Witt is a graduate of Washington University Law School in St. Louis and has extensive experience teaching government and politics. His articles have been cited by The Washington Post, NPR, Politics Daily, The Guardian, The Huffington Post, Media Matters, Daily Kos, and Think Progress among...

Comments

  • Anonymous 1 year ago

    "Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood Leader: ‘Revolution Is Ongoing’ Until We Achieve What We Seek"

  • MickNY 1 year ago

    Eh, 'This Week' has sucked since GS left, Jake Tapper is a better host than this broad, send her back to CNN or HLN or where ever else she sucked last.

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