by Thomas Purcell

Created on: February 08, 2011

Right now, the Mubarak presidency may be in its death throes and there is a very real possibility that Iran will be able to capitalize on the situation, and Islamic fundamentalism will be able to gain a foothold in one of America's strongest allies in the region for over 30 years. But it didn't have to be that way.

The problem with having your President up for election every four years here in America, is that Presidents tend to view the world in the same regard, and build foreign policy, around their own election. We tend to have foreign policy based on reaction rather than acting proactively.

This is nothing new for the US. We backed Hussein in Iraq because he acted as a counterweight to Iranian influence, and we were forced later on to deal with his own expansionism. We backed the Shah for too long, and Iran flipped to an Islamic country. Heck, we backed England in 1787 against France's pro democracy movement, and it fomented the rise of Napoleon.

There really isn't anything we can do about the current Egypt crisis, nor should we. If we support Mubarak and claim the protesters are Islamic puppets, we will look like we are supporting a tyrant and are not protecting free speech or democracy. If we come out and support the protesters, we look like we are turning our back on one of our most trusted allies. The Iranians played this one beautifully because they take the long view of things, unlike the US. For years, they had worked with the anti-Mubarak forces in Egypt, and developed trusted relationships with their leaders. When the time came, they were properly positioned for change and could leverage it to their own advantage.

We had a chance for real change in 2005 when Mubarak won his last election by questionable means, and declared himself winner and threw his opponent, Ayman Nour, in jail. We didn't pressure the government for a fair election, because we were embroiled in a war in Iraq and Mubarak was seen as an ally, even though we knew him to be a dictator.

And like all dictators, was corrupted by the power of the office, and was destined for a fall.  Now, Egypt may be unrecoverable as an ally in the Mideast.

The US needs to evolve in its foreign policy considerations from a reactive stance to a proactive stance. It needs to foster democracy in any form regardless of the immediate strategic concerns, in order to develop long term relationships and maintain freedom in the world. The United States MUST stand for freedom, and democracy; regardless

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