Alterman on aid and democratization in Egypt

John Alterman has an op-ed in WaPo today. In it he argues that the debate on linking american aid to Egypt to democratization is the wrong choice, and that it´s debated on the wrong assumptions. I will try to comment on it later today, but for now, go read the piece! It begins like this:

¨There are many in Washington who think that Egyptian politics turned around last spring because of President Bush's demonstrated resolve to promote political change in that country. They further believe that the leadership in Cairo reverted to its bad old ways when Bush's attention strayed.

They are wrong on both counts. Profound change was never in the air in Egypt. Some Americans may have been ebullient about changes afoot there, but Egyptians' level of political participation told a different story: Fewer than 5 percent of the electorate bothered to vote in last May's referendum on allowing multi-candidate elections for president, and perhaps 20 percent voted in the presidential election itself.¨

U.S aid, democratization in Egypt, Egypt, Bush administration, US-Egyptian relations