Ron Paul On Egypt: Our Thirty-Year Mistake

OS is not a total Ron Paul fan, but does get the newsletter his office emails.

Today, Ron Paul cut through the confusion on Egypt with this brief essay.

The US government has sent more than $60 billion to the Egyptian regime since the Camp David Accords in 1978 to purchase stability, including more security for the state of Israel. We see now the folly of our interventionist foreign policy: not only has that stability fallen to pieces with the current unrest, but the years of propping up the corrupt regime in Egypt has led the people to increase their resentment of both America and Israel! We are both worse off for decades of intervention into Egypt’s internal affairs. I wish I could say that we have learned our lesson and will no longer attempt to purchase – or rent – friends in the Middle East, but I am afraid that is being too optimistic. Already we see evidence that while the US historically propped up the Egyptian regime, we also provided assistance to groups opposed to the regime.

So we have lost the credibility to claim today that we support the self-determination of the Egyptian people. Our double dealing has not endeared us to Egyptians who now seek to reclaim their independence and national dignity.

It is distressing to see the reports of the secret police brutalizing and killing any and all who in any manner may shed light on the regime.

It is maddening to know we paid for it to happen, and that the folks in the streets know we paid for it.

What they don't know is that most of that money was spent out of our sight, because our Congress was asleep at the wheel.