It is great to see so many people with the courage to risk all defying a corrupt, oppressive government.

It is great to see the party headquarters of a corrupt regime going up in flames.

And it is great to see American politicians squirming as the authoritarian tool they have bankrolled for 30 years totters and looks heading for a fall.

This is one of Al Jazeera’s finest hours. Their English-language coverage is superb. (hat tip to Dennis Dale)

While much of the American government has derided Al Jazeera for years, that network has actually been more forthright against oppression than has the U.S. government. Ahmed Mansour, the journalist who interviewed me for an hour (in Arabic) back in 2006 was beaten by Egyptian security forces while reporting in that country. But he never backed down.