Cairo

Yes, yes, it's well past Sunday. Sue me.

But while I don't think it can be really attributed to Obama, March 14's victory in Lebanon allows us (me) to refocus on the speech.

It must be said that the full impact of Cairo a) won't be understood for years and b) is utterly dependent on events and actions. Great thoughts with no action mean nothing.

Still, I think this has the potential to be remembered as the start of a transformational moment. Why? It's not b/c of the State Of The Union-like list as the President laid out, though that matters. In fact, some of that dragged on a bit.

Instead, 3 things stick out. His thoughts on Israel-Palestine were great. There was an absolute defense of the State of Israel, with an acknowledgment of Palestinian grievances. 2nd, the line:

It is time for us to act on what everyone knows to be true.

Indeed, it is. Throughout the Middle East, it is time to act in a positive way, looking forward, not back. A call for all, governments and citizens alike, to act. Good.

Finally, that idealistic ending, with an explicit call to the youth. If 20 yrs. from now, the Middle East has changed for the better, people will rightly point to this. In my mind, it was a Kennedy-esque call to my generation worldwide. I'm reminded once again that, in many ways, it will be up to us to change the world. Whether we live in Washington, Tehran, Jerusalem, or Cairo, it is now up to us. The time to act is now.

Full text.