Opportunity

We are facing a crisis in Egypt. It is a crisis because an important ally is on a path that leads to multiple outcomes and we have no idea if Egypt will arrive at their destination and still be an ally.

But we can't ignore the fact that this crisis is an opportunity. If we can help Egypt choose a path that establishes a shaky democracy that we can nurture, we put in place another democracy that offers an alternative to autocracy or Islamism as ways to organize their countries.

To those who say that Iraq has poisoned the idea of democracy in the Arab world, think about Iraq another way. Since the surge, Iraq has emerged as a democracy. It is fragile, to be sure, but it is a democracy. The Arab world can see Iraqis vote and debate and negotiate without resorting to bombs and bullets amongst themselves (and they see the anti-democractic Sadrists, Baathists, and jihadis doing the killing). The raging violence is several years in the past, now. Perhaps the lesson that Arabs will take from Iraq is the horror that can happen when factions fight hammer and tong for control of a country. Maybe Iraq will inspire an extra dose of caution in enough of the Egyptian protesters to keep mass bloodshed and chaos at bay.

Maybe the desire of some of the protesters for freedom, the desire of others for Mubarak's removal, and the desire of others for just a better life can be united in a program of rule of law leading to real democracy that sets the stage for prosperity. We and the EU should have a role in promoting that path. Don't let this crisis go to waste when it provides an enormous opportunity for a better Middle East.