The United States declares itself the land of the free, but our record of supporting freedom throughout the world over the years is, shall we say, spotty. During the Cold War, we supported several authoritarian regimes in Central and South America because they were anti-communist. Many of them were just as oppressive as the Soviet Union, but the government figured they were better than any even vaguely leftist government. We also have and do support several oppressive countries in the Middle-East, mainly because they provide us with oil. In fact, before the first Gulf War, Saddam Hussein was our ally because he was an enemy of Iran. This trend is not surprising. Like all major world powers (called “empires” until WWII), the U.S. is likely to do what is in its own self-interest for the short-term, whether or not it is the thing best for those countries in the long run. Like in all major empires, it’s only a matter of time before repressed populaces would not take it anymore. For the United States and its allies, that’s happening now. It all began when the North African country of Tunisia overthrew its leader Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali. The successful uprising spawned massive protests in Egypt, a key U.S. ally in the region. The movement seeks to remove President Hosni Mubarak, who has ruled since 1981, and bring about democratic rule. Many media outlets have projected fears that Egypt’s uprising could hurt to the supply of oil coming to the U.S., or lead to a radical anti-West Islamist regime taking over the country. Really, though, a democratic revolution in the country could be the best thing in the long run. Losing an easily-manipulated ally might make the U.S. government uneasy, but the way to stop the spread of extremism is not by installing and paying for dictators who crush all opposition (which is more likely to turn oppressed citizens onto extremism). Instead, the way is through education, through freedom of information. By allowing the freedom of exchanging ideas, Egypt, or really any country, can learn to see for itself that there are better ways. So far, President Obama has expressed support of the Egyptian people. The last few days things have turned violent, as Mubarak supporters have started attacking protesters. Now, the U.S. government is unsure of what to do, for fear radical groups could soon step into the picture. The U.S. should stand with the Egyptian people; doing so could bring good will into the country for the U.S. should democracy ever come. And it would be nice to have some good will in the region we did not either install ourselves or help pay for.
