Sic semper tyrannis
Today is a great day, not just for the Egyptian people, but for freedom-loving people everywhere. In an age of pervasive cynicism, we have witnessed a peaceful overthrow of an entrenched dictatorship. It serves as proof that ordinary citizens, when mobilized, can have a profound impact on the surrounding world. In spite of my joy and optimism for the Egyptian people, I am still troubled by the fact that throughout the course of this whole ordeal, numerous American officials (including both Dick Cheney on the Right and Carter’s Secretary of State on the Left) warned against allowing Mubarrak’s regime to fall. Despite being the self-proclaimed defenders of global democracy (evidenced by the oceans of American blood shed in Iraq and Afghanistan), we continue to violate our most sacred principles and prop up autocratic regimes. The price of domestic tranquility, it would seem, is foreign oppression.
But has this approach even worked? By and large, it would seem that our efforts have failed. Those who advocated standing with Mubarrak point to Iran as an example of what can happen when the U.S. loses control of foreign bodies politick. Has American meddling served us any better? Did our relationship with the Saudis prevent Mohammed Atta or Osama bin Laden? Did supporting Sana’a stop the attack on the U.S.S. Cole? And did our support of Mubarrak strengthen or weaken the following of the Muslim Brotherhood? If we are damned if we do and damned if we don’t, we should stand by our values.
The justifications for doing so are both strategic and moral. The strategic value is twofold. First, if people see that there is a peaceful avenue for redressing grievances, the necessity of turning to violence will be lessened. Second, integrating extremist elements into domestic politics and consequently the interconnected world of global politics can be force for moderation.
What do I mean? Haley Barbour, Republican governor of Mississippi and potential 2012 contender, recently said that Iran poses the greatest threat to American security. While I do not deny that they are a threat, it is erroneous to say they pose the greatest threat. We are still all to quick to conceive of the world in terms of states, but such a world view is antiquated. Although Iran and other rogue states like it are dangerous, they are also caught in a web of interests abroad and domestic obligations that tie their hands to a degree. If we understand these obligations (e.g., Iran’s economic ties to Russia and China), there is the possibility of exploiting them to our benefit.
A far greater threat is posed by non-state agents. Their status as perpetual dissidents allows them to float on a nihilistic sea, with no obligation to create, only to periodically destroy. Although it is not assured, there is a chance that assuming power will force extremist groups to play ball as it were. Obligations to provide for the economic well-being of their people will force them to navigate the channels of an interconnected world. Periodic videos submissions to Al Jazeera will no longer suffice. All of a sudden they will find that forces they used to antagonize are necessary allies.
Ultimately, though, it is morality more than reason that compels one to support the democratic aspirations of Arab/Muslim peoples from every point on the spectrum. I do not accept the notion that in order for my countrymen and I to be safe, our Egyptian brothers and sisters must rot in a dictator’s jail. Besides, the security that results from such oppression is fleeting. Let us not forget the words of Jesus Christ: those who live by the sword shall die by it. If the American citadel is built upon a foundation of foreign corpses, it will inevitably crumble into the sea. Though we shut our eyes and plug our ears, the ghosts of our transgressions will continue to haunt us.
I believe that, no matter the circumstances, the cause of democracy is always just. I believe that people who have a legitimate avenue for being heard will be less likely to turn to violence. Violence begins where communication ends. Man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains. Hastening the spread of democracy and human rights is the solemn duty of all those who currently enjoy them. I welcome a new, liberated Egypt to the world scene–Muslim Brotherhood and all–with open arms.
Sic semper tyrannis.
