Brian4Liberty
11-28-2012, 12:49 PM
With Egypt's Morsi taking too much power upon himself (imagine that), US aid to Egypt is being questioned. But don't worry kind taxpayers, for there is no doubt that your money will make it's way to Egypt no matter what happens.
WASHINGTON, Nov 26 2012 (IPS) - The U.S. government is suggesting that pending aid worth billions of dollars for Egypt may be withheld unless President Mohamed Morsi dials back on recent moves, announced Thursday, that would consolidate his power and put his legislative decisions above judicial review.
“Everybody is watching how this goes forward,” U.S. State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland noted Monday. “All of the support that we provide for Egypt, whether it’s political support, economic support, has been in support of an Egypt that is becoming increasingly democratic, that will have a constitution that protects all of these rights. So that’s the trajectory that we want to see Egypt on.”
Nuland also intimated that the United States could still oppose a pending 4.8-billion-dollar loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), agreed upon last week following two years of negotiations. Although opposed by many in Cairo’s intelligentsia over worries of enforced austerity measures, the loan has been heralded as needed to jumpstart Egypt’s stuttering economy, which has never picked back up following the roiling of the Arab Spring and is nearing insolvency.
...
http://www.ipsnews.net/2012/11/pressure-builds-for-u-s-response-to-egypt-power-grab/
A pending loan is also in the works? Debt is the preferred drug, enriching the dealers, and dooming the users. The economic hitmen are busy bees in Egypt. The subtle irony here is that the loan is being portrayed as leverage. In reality, the loan is probably mandatory. Leaders that refuse to take loans have been known to die in untimely accidents.
A bipartisan task force is recommending that President Obama rethink the country’s approach to Egypt, and pursue a “quid pro quo” relationship that conditions American aid on the new Islamist government’s cooperation on terrorism and other issues.
...
For example, the task force suggested devoting part of United States aid to Egypt, starting at $100 million and growing over time, to encourage the government to do more to fight terrorists in the Sinai Peninsula. Mr. Obama and Congressional leaders should also tell Cairo that human rights violations or a retreat from democratic reform would make it harder to maintain a beneficial relationship.
At the same time, the task force said Washington should expand its contacts with political opposition in Egypt and recommit to spending tens of millions of dollars to support the development of civil society. “Now is not the time to trim the sails of U.S. outreach,” the report said. “To the contrary, now is the time to redouble U.S. effort to talk with the broad array of actors in Egypt’s fluid political environment.”
Money buys "civil society"? While civil society is a noble cause, it must grow organically among the people and the culture. There is no evidence at all that money can buy that. In fact, quite the opposite is usually true. Dumping money will lead to less civility. Once again, US taxpayer money is being used to pave the road to hell, under the guise of good intentions.
WASHINGTON, Nov 26 2012 (IPS) - The U.S. government is suggesting that pending aid worth billions of dollars for Egypt may be withheld unless President Mohamed Morsi dials back on recent moves, announced Thursday, that would consolidate his power and put his legislative decisions above judicial review.
“Everybody is watching how this goes forward,” U.S. State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland noted Monday. “All of the support that we provide for Egypt, whether it’s political support, economic support, has been in support of an Egypt that is becoming increasingly democratic, that will have a constitution that protects all of these rights. So that’s the trajectory that we want to see Egypt on.”
Nuland also intimated that the United States could still oppose a pending 4.8-billion-dollar loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), agreed upon last week following two years of negotiations. Although opposed by many in Cairo’s intelligentsia over worries of enforced austerity measures, the loan has been heralded as needed to jumpstart Egypt’s stuttering economy, which has never picked back up following the roiling of the Arab Spring and is nearing insolvency.
...
http://www.ipsnews.net/2012/11/pressure-builds-for-u-s-response-to-egypt-power-grab/
A pending loan is also in the works? Debt is the preferred drug, enriching the dealers, and dooming the users. The economic hitmen are busy bees in Egypt. The subtle irony here is that the loan is being portrayed as leverage. In reality, the loan is probably mandatory. Leaders that refuse to take loans have been known to die in untimely accidents.
A bipartisan task force is recommending that President Obama rethink the country’s approach to Egypt, and pursue a “quid pro quo” relationship that conditions American aid on the new Islamist government’s cooperation on terrorism and other issues.
...
For example, the task force suggested devoting part of United States aid to Egypt, starting at $100 million and growing over time, to encourage the government to do more to fight terrorists in the Sinai Peninsula. Mr. Obama and Congressional leaders should also tell Cairo that human rights violations or a retreat from democratic reform would make it harder to maintain a beneficial relationship.
At the same time, the task force said Washington should expand its contacts with political opposition in Egypt and recommit to spending tens of millions of dollars to support the development of civil society. “Now is not the time to trim the sails of U.S. outreach,” the report said. “To the contrary, now is the time to redouble U.S. effort to talk with the broad array of actors in Egypt’s fluid political environment.”
Money buys "civil society"? While civil society is a noble cause, it must grow organically among the people and the culture. There is no evidence at all that money can buy that. In fact, quite the opposite is usually true. Dumping money will lead to less civility. Once again, US taxpayer money is being used to pave the road to hell, under the guise of good intentions.