The Middle East is now experiencing a string of revolutions. Tunisia has managed a quick ousting of its average dictator but now the “internet revolution” in Egypt will put the world itself to the test due to Egypt’s key position in today’s geopolitcal environment. If the ’89 Romanian revolution was the first revolution ever to be broadcast live on TV internationally, Tunisia in 2011 was the first revolution to be observed online. But this is not what this post is about.
When Tunisia happened, the United States government expressed a mild support towards democratic values and did not shy away from saluting the will of the people taking over where a dictatorship once stood. Now, when Egypt is happening, the United States government sits still and asks for … calm. This ambivalence towards democracy vs dictatorship comes naturally from the fact that Egypt is seen as an ally of Israel and the United States inside a zone of hatred and hostility towards these two. Despite Egypt’s history with Israel, president Mubarak has a hand in brokering the peace process between the Palestinians and Israel, is diplomatically savvy with Russia and entertains with the White House. Due to this, many radical muslims now see Mubarak as a traitor and the constant aggressiveness of the United States and Israel against muslim countries has led to a process of radicalization in the area. Therefore, whoever will eventually replace Mubarak, they cannot afford to be friendly with the radical West.
Democracy, or allies? What will the United States choose? On one hand, the United States has built its image in the shape of an idea: democracy. The rule of people by the people. As a supported and flagship of democracy, the United States expect that any democracy emerging today to be in its own shape and image and therefore a friend. But this logic is flawed and reality shows that in fact, the emerging democracies around the globe do not take kindly to countries that impose their will at the threat of modern warfare technology.
In fact, when it comes to actual support, in the last half of a century the United States has displayed a tendency to support cruel dictators. The Shah Reza Pahlavi in Iran, Noriega and the Somoza family in Panama, Mubarak in Egypt, the royal family in Saudi Arabia, the Contras terrorists in Nicaragua, Mobutu Sese Seko in Congo, the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia (in return for their support in Vietnam) and others.
Obama’s stance to first call Mubarak an important ally just after the revolution in Egypt broke, his inability to strenuously condemn the violent response of the police and the military and his failure to recognize the democratic role of the social unrest underlines what many have known for a long time: the America has little to do with real democracy.
