"Democracy" for Egypt

After his 28 year long authoritarian reign in Egypt, Hosni Mubarak has finally been called on by the people he governs to step down and abandon his grip on the political holsters he has so "un-democratically" been occupying. Protests on the streets of Cairo so clearly demonstrate the will of the people; yet, Mubarak has audaciously defied all sense of reason by refusing to relinquish his formal powers.

If democracy is worth anything, the power of protest should be at the forefront of civilian rights. Last week, at a celebration of Ronald Reagan's 100th birthday, Dick Cheney reminded attendees of the longstanding "friendship" between the US and Egypt: after Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, Mubarak granted flyover privileges to the US along with access to the Suez Canal. He went on to say that "he's been a good man and a good friend and ally of the United States, and we need to remember that."

Someone else was once described as a "good friend" of the United States - Saddam Hussein. When Iraq invaded Iran in 1980, the United States gave satellite photos, weapons, and poison gas to Hussein for use against the Iranian people. Of course, when he became associated with "terrorism" (or however that war was framed...) he was no longer a close ally of ours, but instead, an evil dictator worthy of a spot in the "axis of evil." So I suppose the way we determine our "friends" is based on whether or not their tyrannical regimes suit our international interests.

Our invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan were framed under the premise of spreading democracy in the Middle East. Yet when the voice of the people cries out for democracy, calling on the support of the United States in their quest for liberation, we turn our backs and hope for the best - that all will work out in due time. This is the time for political interference. One million protesters should take precedence over one "friend" who could very likely end up on that axis of evil list 5 years down the line. If we are to demonstrate our influence in the Middle East at all, it should be through the deliberate and meaningful example we set by supporting democracy where democracy is sought.