R&D: A 1979 Reflection on U.S. Foreign Policy, What the U.S. Loses if Mubarak Goes, and U.S. Lawmakers Prepare an Internet “Kill Switch”

Here is your R&D for January 31st:

Dictatorships & Double Standards from Commentary Magazine
This may not seem like an article you could use in extemp, since it comes from 1979, but the situation in Egypt is in some ways similar to the Islamic Revolution in Iran three decades ago. This article provides an analysis of that situation and extempers may be able to use this article in their speeches to parallel the present U.S. foreign policy predicament.

What the U.S. Loses if Mubarak Goes from Time
The U.S. would lose a significant Middle East ally if Hosni Mubarak is forced from power in Egypt. The loss of Mubarak could also hinder Middle East peace efforts.

As Egypt goes offline US gets internet ‘kill switch’ bill ready from the Age
The U.S. Senate is set to take up a bill that would grant the U.S. president powers to shut down the Internet in the event of a national emergency. Critics have pointed out that Egypt’s government shut down the Internet during its latest protests and the move would hamper people’s civil rights.

Ninety percent of Republicans want Tea Party to play a role from CNN
While some Republican leaders are trying to distance themselves from the Tea Party movement, they may be doing so at their peril. A recent poll shows that ninety percent of Republican voters want the GOP establishment to listen to tea party concerns.

Car recalls: Can Toyota keep American devotion? from the Christian Science Monitor
2010 was not a good year for Toyota and 2011 is already off to a bad start with more recalls for the beleagured auto manufacturer. The latest recalls may cause problems for Toyota in the American market, where it was outpacing other manufactuers a decade ago.