Of Two Minds

The Americans haven’t been sure for quite some time how they should react to what’s going on in Egypt. Do we support the old regime? Or should we take sides with those demonstrating for freedom and democracy — American basic values?

Caught by surprise by the Egyptian uprising, it took the U.S. government some time to overcome its indecision and come up with a halfway coherent voice: President Mubarak has to begin the process of transferring power immediately. The fact that Obama refrained from publicly calling for Mubarak to step down but rather made the demand by telephone to Mubarak is one aspect of this dichotomy in which the U.S. finds itself — namely, consideration for an (autocratic) ally who served Washington’s geopolitical interests for years and sympathy for those protesting against a repressive regime demanding those quintessential American values of freedom and democracy. Obama, fearing a further loss of credibility, chose their side. But was it too late? The course of events in Iran more than 30 years ago that ended in an Islamic dictatorship is both a reminder and a warning, as different as those two events may be.

The Spirit of Liberty Has Been Let Out of the Bottle

Washington’s policy now appears to be clear in any case; there will be no return to the status quo ante. Even if the struggle for Egypt’s future, along with the rest of the major countries of the Arab world, remains as yet undecided — and perhaps has just begun, as the street battles in Cairo have shown — Mubarak will not be restored to power despite the efforts of his supporters to do so through violence. Regime change will not be made retroactive; the push for reform is too powerful. The spirit of liberty has been let out of the bottle.