OK, well, not exactly Charlton Heston in “The Ten Commandments,” but close enough from Rep. Jim Moran. 🙂
The Egyptian people are rightfully demanding long-denied democracy. Empowered by the internet and social media, the largely young and middle-class protesters reflect the awakening of a powerful grassroots movement whose legitimate call for a more representative and transparent government will not, nor should not, be denied.
As evidenced by the $1 billion gap between military and non-military U.S. aid to Egypt, too often we have chosen security and stability at the expense of democracy and freedom. That equation must be altered to reflect an American support for the Egyptian peoples’ struggle for rights we too fought a revolution to obtain. This is a new day for democracy worldwide, a game-changer that the U.S. should strongly support as the leader of the free world.
P.S. While we’re talking about Egypt, you might want to check out a post I wrote for Scaling Green on whether oil and ethanol are helping drive food price increases that are fueling unrest in a number of countries, including Egypt.
UPDATE: On NPR just now, Rep. Connolly said the U.S. should use its influence to prevent bloodshed in Egypt (including possibly reviewing the aid we give Egypt), says the stakes are very high, and adds that Egypt should hold free and fair elections.
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