There is chaos in many parts of the world. Some of it is violent. Some is peaceful. The violent chaos makes it to the television, as is the case with the current events unfolding before our eyes in Egypt.

Egypt is likely to and in fact already has sparked similar uprisings in the Arab world as this year unfolds. What does this mean for America? Well, to start, Egypt is one of a few allies to Israel and the U.S. in the Middle East. Despite being a far cry from a perfect democracy – is ours? – Egypt provides some stability to a region that so desperately needs it. This “Arab uprising” scene has played out before, and the ending isn’t pretty or smooth. First, unrest in the Middle East usually leads to higher oil prices. Higher oil prices leads to higher prices at the gas pump, which will cause Americans to squeeze their wallets even tighter. The last time America saw gas reach over $3.25 was the summer of 2008, and this served as the co-conspirator to the housing bubble as the straw that broke the American economic camel’s back. Our economy is neither ready nor capable of handling a large spike in gas prices. And to further inflict pain on the American consumer, the administration continues to inflict a de-facto drilling moratorium in the Gulf of Mexico.

The world, meanwhile, is looking at Egypt and wondering what is next. If it sparks a domino effect in the region, what will that do to the fragile situation in Afghanistan and Iraq? Can our military assist in subduing the violence? Do we want to? When Americans see people rising against their respective government, we often smile and say it is “democracy at work” and look back fondly at our colonial days that led to our successful rebellion and independence from Britain. Should we rush to the support of the protestors in Egypt? There are several sources that confirm a deep support of the protests by the Muslim Brotherhood. If this is true, is the Brotherhood’s purpose to inflict Jeffersonian democratic ideals in Egypt or a theocracy similar to that in other Muslim nations where the religion and government are one? Replacing a militaristic but democratically elected government with a theocracy determined to inflict its rule over unwilling masses isn’t an improvement; it’s possibly a dangerous step for the cultural and historical center of the Arab world to take.

Make no mistake, history is unfolding before our eyes, and the superpowers of the world are right to take note, carefully assess the real goal behind the protests, and then firmly resolve to promote peace and freedom throughout the Middle East.

The last bite…

The meal wasn’t anything to write about, but the dessert definitely was! I am talking about the mini-whole king cakes served at Brennan’s Bourbon House in New Orleans. EVERY Louisianan should eat this before they die. They take a traditional mini king cake and then stuff it to the max with a pecan pie filling. Then they top it with homemade icing and serve it slightly warm. It is a good thing they serve mini servings, otherwise I don’t think I would have been able to stop. I give it 5 crumbs! (out of 5)

Buddy Boe, a resident of LaPlace, is a former parish administrator and is well known on the local political (and food) scenes. His column appears every Wednesday in L’Observateur.