US Leadership on Egypt: A Responsibility, not Hypocrisy

In the midst of all the unrest in Egypt, much hash has been made about supporting autocratic regimes. There are times, of course, when pragmatic realpolitik is necessary. Discerning the lesser of two evils, such as propping up Mubarak to avoid Israeli-Egyptian conflict or a fundamentalist Cairo regime, is one of the trickier aspects of foreign policy.

For one, it can backfire. The overthrow of the US-British backed Shah of Iran being the most fatal example. But outside a few exceptions, the US plays the balance of power game in a benevolent way. In light of all the fears about Islamic extremism in the Middle East, the Bush administration had no qualms in calling for democratic reforms in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and insisting that the new Iraq be a free and open society. A proven constant in US international strategy, at least since 1945, is that the ultimate goal is to check the proliferation of tyranny.

China plays the balance of power game a bit differently. So does Russia, in its so-called "Near Abroad."

With China, there is a calculated support of tyrants to enhance national standing, resources, and Beijing's territorial ambitions. A tyranny themselves, they have no problem supporting the oppressive Mugabe regime if it means access to Zimbabwe's rich mineral deposits. Propping up North Korea is fine, so long as its massive army keeps US war planners distracted from Taiwan. Other Africa and Asia tyrannies are spigots that guarantee a flow of cheap resources into the Middle Kingdom. That Western powers refuse to do business with them on ethical grounds is all the better.

There's been plenty of accusations of American hypocrisy in the way we approach international engagement, equating our relations with regimes like Mubarak's to China or Russia. Those voices need a history lesson. The spread of knowledge, freedom, and democracy is an intrinsic part our history. President Obama still has time to stand up and lead on Egyptian democracy. If he's looking for a voice, the guiding values of the Republic are a good place to start.