Live 24 hour television coupled with an always on internet certainly gives everyone a chance to be their own commentator on events in Egypt.
The White House, the EU and No.10 no longer know how to call it. Having pussy-footed around for a few days uncertain whether this was another Tunisia or not, they then caught the mood of the well behaved crowds and called for Mubarak to go immediately. And then when he didn't and fighting broke out yesterday they weren't sure what to do caught in the headlights of saying they respected the wishes of the Egyptian people and yet were more and more minded that this might be another Iran rather than a Turkey and needed action before prayers tomorrow.
Poor Egypt - we have been deliberately blind to the menace of Mubarak. Let's hope there are some telling wikileaks made available over the next few weeks which tell us exactly how we have propped up this despot.
Just what is the purpose of our respective Foreign Offices??