NYT: Can Egypt Avoid Pakistan's Fate?

At first, the comparison between Pakistan and Egypt made me cringe, but this piece by Michelle Dunne and Shuja Nawaz is worth a read. There are significant differences between the two countries, but the comparison nevertheless is apt.

"One year after the revolution that ousted President Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian military is closing down civil society organizations and trying to manipulate the constitution-writing process to serve its narrow interests. Meanwhile, in Pakistan, where the military has also held sway for more than half the country’s existence — for much of that time, with America’s blessing — a new civil-military crisis is brewing."

With regard to both countries, the United States had the tendency to look the other way as long as the military regimes were willing to help the United States fulfill its regional goals.

The regional changes brought on by the so-called Arab Spring and the vapid anti-Americanism present in Pakistan show the danger of such an approach. Perhaps in the short run the status quo suits United States interest, but the repression, corruption, and economic stagnation of both these countries made the situation unsustainable. It is/was only a matter of time before the simmering pot exploded. I believe the Obama administration is smart enough to realize this. Fingers crossed their better judgement is not subsumed for short-term or domestic political interests.