Bonfire of American Vanities

New York Times writer Timothy Egan throws some needed cold water on American expectations about the unrest in Egypt. He writes that "the revolution in Egypt owes little to well-meaning American naïveté. ... The brutal truth is this: where it ends in the cradle of civilization will not be America’s call. ... in the Internet age, no authoritarian can keep his own people from knowing the truth. Millions of Egyptians are disgusted with their leadership. They have hope. They want change. And we should stand with them with the tools of an open society: ideas and technology, and maybe a deft diplomatic nudge. Beyond that, it’s out of American hands."