I recently listened to an interview with Aung San Suu Kyi from the BBC where she said:
It is not power that corrupts, but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it.
In Egypt today, we are witnessing a people uniting to free themselves from a crippling fear of Mubarak's scourge.
We are also witnessing the Obama Administration paralyzed by a fear of losing power. Losing power over a group of Arab dictators who have convinced us they are the necessary bulwark against a hostile Arab street.
The Administration fears losing a status quo which; however intolerable to millions of Arabs living under it's crushing heel, is a devil we know.
I believe Barack Obama is a smart, well-intentioned man who has surrounded himself with smart, well-intentioned staff. Their minds are focused upon the potential downsides to trusting the Egyptian people to forge their own course. The Administration's fear of losing influence prevents them honoring a people struggling to free themselves from their fear of the iron rod.
And the rest is just words.
