Why Are We Increasing Aid to Egypt?

This depressing bit of news from Reuters strikes me as making no sense in a period we are experiencing a poor economy and should be looking for things to cut. We are increasing our aid to Egypt. This appears to be yet another instance of the US trying to bribe nations into behaving themselves.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/25/us-davos-usa-egypt-idUSTRE80O24G20120125


After the recent election, the forces of the Muslim Brotherhood now control some 75% of the Egyptian legislature. The country's peace treaty with Egypt, while technically still alive, is really finished, for all practical purposes. As for the religious minorities, principally the Coptic Christians, their situation, already bad under the previous strongmen, is becoming increasingly dire as acts of violence and church destruction continue.

And we are increasing aid to Egypt-obviously in the hope of encouraging them to behave themselves, keep the peace with Israel, and hopefully, transition to a real democracy, where Christians, Muslims, Jews and Athiests will all march hand-in-hand into a brighter tomorrow.

Can you say, "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm"?

Don't bother explaining to me that, behind the scenes, US diplomats and negotiators are twisting arms to make the Egyptians understand that this aid is dependent on them doing the right things. I get that. I worked in the American embassy in Bangkok for three years and five years in the American consulate in Milan. I clicked cocktail glasses with the officials who engaged in that waltz. I also know that, in the end, countries do what they want to do and usually play the US like a violin.

I also know the argument that foreign aid makes up a "tiny" portion of our government spending. The problem is there are tens of thousands of government expenditures that make up a tiny portion of the whole.

This is no time to be increasing aid to anyone except ourselves.