Interesting


How a small US funded program supporting election monitoring in Egypt laid some groundwork for the protests.

I hesitate about what to think about articles like this...on the one hand, I hate this idea perpetrated by the media that the US is the central player in these world-historic events. We need to acknowledge that we are a supporting role player and the causes of these big events are multilayered and variable and oftentimes inexplicable. On the flip side, I like how small unintended decisions or programs can lead to major events.

It is also interesting to see how US policy has evolved in both big and small ways post-9/11 where the philosophy shifted from backing strong horses for stability to democracy promotion in the region.