Après moi, le déluge

SOMEHOW, the estimable Christiane Amanpour managed to snag an exclusive interview with President Hosni Mubarak. She says the Pharaoh is weary of the presidency and would like nothing better than to exit stage right -- immediately. But, alas, he cannot. Mubarak told Amanpour that Egypt would spiral into chaos if he abruptly boarded a plane for Barbados. It is truly amazing how cornered dictators always channel King Louis XV when their backs are against the wall. The Frenchman coined the phrase “Après moi, le déluge” (“After me, the deluge"). Unfortunately, Louie was right in his case. The deluge came in the form of the French Revolution 15 years after his death. Let’s hope this was a freakish one-off and not an omen for post-Mubarak Egypt.