President of Egypt Hosni Mubarak Resigns

Wow!  Talk about unpredictable.  This man controlled Egypt with an iron fist three weeks ago, and today was ousted, not by the military, smart bombs, or even death, but by his own people.  It is a true testament to the power of people with a dream who are willing to go against all odds, give up their lives, and go the distance in order to see their dreams realized.

However, as an American, I greet the news of 'a peaceful transition to DEMOCRACY in Egypt' with caution.  In America, many of us have a tendency to think that democracies all over the world support the same ideals that we do in this great Country.  However, history has proven that this is not always the case.

Lets look at a few examples.  Mexico is a democracy, yet its people live in poverty and its government is governed by corruption.  Iran, is a supposed democracy, but whose values are opposed to those of the United States and the rest of the Western World, its elections are a facade, and they live under an extremely suppressive government.  Iraq, who owes its democracy to our American troops, is also filled with bloodshed and mayhem because the people cannot agree with the very principles that govern what a democracy is.

So yes, I view this resignation with caution.  Mubarak was not the most ambivalent and generous man in the world.  He was a dictator.  He suppressed the rights of his people.  He did many things that we in a democracy do not like.  BUT, he was also a steady and reliable friend in a region full of enemies.  He might not have been the best guy, but we could rely on him as a friend in the region.  Call me crazy, but as an American, a friend in the Middle East, especially a non-western one, is something we need!

Will Egypt turn out to be a true democracy and an even greater friend to the West than ever before?  Or, now thanks to calls for 'change,' will the Muslim Brotherhood, an enemy of the US and the West, come to power in the next government.  Will Egypt retract its peace treaty with Israel?   Will the modern weapons that America supplied to Egypt to keep them safe now be turned against our allies in the Middle East and Europe?    These questions will be answered only through the course of time. 

However, I am going to end this post on a more upbeat note and state that I am cautiously optimistic about what will happen in Egypt.  The people that toppled Mubarak’s regime seem to be genuinely interested in a democracy that will better their lives and Egypt’s standing in the world, and I hope for their sake as well as ours that this becomes a reality. 

Only time will tell….