The memo
The US has and will always support, terrorists, dictators and authoritarian regimes that it believes are in its best interest to do so, never mind what the people oppressed by these regimes suffer as a consequence.
The NYT about military aid to the authoritarian now in power in Egypt
The next day, the United States Senate approved a huge spending bill that could allow Egypt to receive more than $1.3 billion in American military aid regardless of whether Cairo continues to repress Egyptian citizens or harass foreigners like Ms. Dunne.
Whoosh history ignored once again
A list of who we have supported in the past can be found here
Could we please stop pretending that every time this happens it is a surprise?
From Pinochet to Duvalier
From Saddam Hussein to the House of Saud
From Suharto to Marcos
From Apartheid to the Contras
It doesn't matter if they tortured, killed, trashed women's rights, regarded human rights as a joke, held their own people in thrall, or use migrant slave labor; just so long as they were not communists or religious fundamentalists we don't like [Saudi Arabia good, Iran bad].
Hell we even supported the Mujahedin against Russia and then acted surprised they didn't' like us anyway.
It's all well and good acting amazed every time this happens.
It
Is
Our
Standard
Modus Operandi
Then we act all "who could have foreseen" when they turn around and bite us.
When it gets bad enough we then make up a pile of lies to get rid of the consequences only to create more in the end.
Egypt is an important partner in Middle East peace and the fight against extremists, but it does not serve American interests to funnel aid, without question or account, to a government that is ruthless and self-destructive — a government whose treatment of people like Ms. Dunne will discourage the tourism and development Mr. Sisi needs to revive his country’s economy.
Yeah right, as if that ever mattered.
Perhaps the NYT title should have been
Giving away billions. Have we learnt nothing?
Perhaps there is a better way
Sigh
Just a thought