With the right up in arms over Obama getting ice cream during the Iranian election crisis, I think it's becoming clear that we need a small history lesson.
White House Press Secretary, 10 September 2005:
The United States congratulates the Egyptian people and government for holding Egypt's first multi-candidate Presidential elections on September 7. This election represents an important step toward holding fully free and fair competitive multi-party elections, and both supporters and opponents of the government have told us that it has occasioned a vigorous national debate in Egypt on important issues. We expect it will be part of a process of continuing political reforms and that the flaws that were visible in this election will be corrected for November's parliamentary election.
The President called President Mubarak this morning to congratulate him on his victory, and say he looks forward to continuing to work with him in the coming years.
Statement by the Secretary of State, 10 September 2005:
Egypt's presidential election represents one step in the march towards the full democracy that the Egyptian people desire and deserve. The process that culminated in the September 7 vote was characterized by freer debate, increased transparency, and improved access to the media, in contrast with previous polls. The practice of universal suffrage in Egypt, without limitations on gender and ethnicity, is a hopeful sign for the region. Despite some reports of scattered violence, the Egyptian security forces generally maintained calm.
As Egypt looks towards parliamentary elections in November, we encourage Egyptians to build on progress made with this election and to address valid criticisms of the electoral process. In particular, more needs to be done to increase the voice of the people and their confidence in the democratic process. The presence of international monitors - both domestic and international - with full and timely access to polling stations, would introduce greater transparency and credibility for future elections. All candidates should also be afforded equal access to the media to convey their messages to the Egyptian people. The Government of Egypt should also codify and implement internationally accepted electoral practices, ensure freedom of expression, and protect against intimidation and violence.
President Mubarak now has an opportunity to follow through on several key campaign promises, including a pledge to lift the emergency law. The United States fully supports the democratic aspirations of the Egyptian people as they move towards a more representative democracy. We will stand with Egypt as it makes this journey.
I should not have to explain the various reasons that the Egyptian presidential election of 2005 was fradulent.
What is especially telling to me is the fact that the Bush administration generally saw this election as a step in the right direction rather than an excercise in propaganda. There's a reason why we have the term "demonstration election." The 2005 presidential election in Egypt fit this definition. It was an attempt on the part of the Mubarak administration to shore up its international legitimacy, nothing more. In releasing these press statements, the Bush administration allowed the U.S. to become a part of Mubarak's propaganda apparatus. The idea that the election was in any way a positive development was a fabrication meant to justify continued U.S. aid to the regime.
Perhaps this diary should not be about Bush alone since Obama has shown little inclination for criticizing Mubarak. This is about the U.S. in general and its tendency to support its "S.O.B." Egypt's dictator represses the national will and generally supports U.S. economic interests through his neoliberal policies, so he gets to be considered part of the free world.
If Egypt ever erupts into the same type of fury we now see in Iran, I can almost guarantee that we will see a lot of propagandizing in support of Mubarak as the "lesser evil."