Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak Signed For Remake Of Jim Carrey’s Hit Movie “Liar Liar”
Wish I Hadn’t Said That. Immediately following his reelection in September 2005, Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak gave a speech to his nation. It’s an address he’ll surely be reminded of more than ever before in light of his resignation today. Mubarak had just won reelection to a fifth term and was obviously feeling in a charitable mood. And why not? He’d managed to attract 88.5% of the votes, while ignoring the deflating news that only 23 percent of Egyptian voters bothered to show up. In the end he garnered the votes of merely 8.6 percent of Egypt’s overall population. Oh, and yeah, the election was rigged like an 19th Century ship of the line.
We all utter noises that later embarrass us. A friend of mine, quoting Little Red Riding Hood, once blurted out to me, “Oh, what big ears you have!” at the precise moment when a fellow with (of course) enormous ears wheeled around the corner heading straight for us. I put my head so far down that my sternum maintained an impression of my chin for a week, but, nevertheless, I did catch a glimpse of the expression on the poor man’s face as he and his monumental ears strode past. It made things no better when she turned quickly to yell, “Oh, I didn’t mean your ears!”
What’s this to do with Mubarak? Not much, it’s a story I’ve been saving for even the slightest provocation. Mubarak provides it. My friend always regretted her words that day (although she told the story often, literally shaking with laughter). Mubarak, too, will have much to regret saying, particularly the huge whoppers in his post-election hubris-laden speech in September 2005. Here are the quotes that make one wince:
He dove right in with this delusional belief:
“The true victory is the victory for democracy and pluralism.”
Then this one, downright clinically dishonest. Did he say this with a straight face?
“I say to the young, the workers, the peasants, the intellectuals and the middle classes: I will stand by your side and support your causes and ambitions . . .”
This was nothing new. Pre-election, August 17, 2005, in his first interview after the launch of his reelection campaign, Mubarak told Al-Ahram Weekly that, in the face of demands for international election monitors, he rejected any foreign interference in the electoral process. Neutral election bean counters would wreck everything, although he had enough sense not to say that. Then in a verbal stunner, he went on:
“Ultimately, what is right will prevail, because the Egyptian people are aware. They can make their own choices, and they know how to tell the difference between hollow slogans and my serious electoral platform . . .”
Geeze Louise! As things turned out today with his skeedaddle from Cairo and from the presidency, he’ll have time and leisure, – unless indicted for various and sundry horrific crimes – to reminisce about how he almost got away with it.
