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Comment by phunel | Hacker News Reader

"...he brought us home a tear gas canister so that we could see “the gifts that America sends to Egypt”. It was made on Kinsman Road in Jamestown, Pennsylvania, 16134."

I've seen this covered all over the news and can't understand the logic. Despite the fact that the United States has publicly backed the will of the Egyptian people, calling for an orderly transition - there seems to be a pathological need to throw some egg. No one is grabbing the 7.62 casings from the Misr-AKM and saying, "see the gifts Russia sends to Egypt?"

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It's almost as if the dictator they want to overthrow has been one of America's closest allies in the region. Why, to hear them talk, you'd think America has made the dictator's continued reign a linchpin of their Middle Eastern policy.

Last Thursday we were solidly on the side of Mubarak. We only backed the will of the Egyptian people after it became clear that Mubarak had little hope of retaining power.

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Backchannels/2011/0127/Joe-Bi...

They have very good reason for being angry with us.

Since Israel and Egypt made peace in 1979, the US has sent Egypt over a billion dollars per year in military aid. (http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/02/us-aid-to-e...)

The Egyptian people have wanted a more democratic government for quite a few years, and the US only started throwing its diplomatic weight behind the opposition after it became likely that they would win no matter what.

A possible reason: nobody buys it when Russia says they support democracy.

Another point worth bearing in mind: three days of supporting protestors probably will not compensate (from a "hearts-and-minds" perspective) for three decades of supporting their tyrant, quite irrespective of any realpolitikal justifications that may exist.

Fact is that the Egyptian regime (and many others in the region) have been supported in many ways by the U.S. government.

Do you have the slightest idea of what we've been doing in that country for the last 30 years?

Is there any possible scenario where labeling a tear gas can with the country of origin is beneficial to that country? Wheat, yes. Medicine, yes. Teargas???

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