Egypt

As democracy protests in Egypt enter their seventh day it is becoming increasingly clear that the end of this denouement will come with the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak. The police are no longer opposing the demonstrations and the army announced today it will not fire on its own citizens. When an authoritarian government can no longer count on its minions to enforce its authority the end cannot be far behind. See photos here.

The handwriting appeared clearly on the wall yesterday when Secretary of State Clinton and Press Secretary Gibbs started using the word "transition" when referring to events in Egypt. That is as in "transition to a democratic form of government." The terminology is not accidental; it indicates both an intelligence assessment of what is in the process of taking place as well as a signal to Mubarak to expect no propping up from Washington.

Analysis in the American press is now starting to focus on what this might mean for the United States. Will Mubarak's fall make Egypt a haven for terrorists? Will the state of peace between Egypt and Israel that has prevailed for better than 30 years be maintained? Will the change produce instability that raises oil prices? On one level, these concerns are natural. But there are good reasons for optimism about Egypt's future stance. Unlike many other Middle East countries, Egypt is not an unstable tribal amalgam patched together by colonial powers. It is a cohesive nation with a 5,000 year history of which its people are justly proud. It has good reason to keep the peace with Israel. It is not a major oil producer. Its Muslim Brotherhood is a relatively moderate organization.

But more deeply and in any event, the people of the United States and their government can scarcely oppose or stand in the way of any people's legitimate striving for freedom and a say in the selection of their own destiny. That is what America stands for and has espoused for its entire existence. For three decades the people of Egypt have put up with a dictatorial police state and sham democracy. Tunisia's recent successful revolution was the first domino; Egypt will be the second. No doubt rulers from Damascus to Riyadh and from Tripoli to Tehran are wondering whether and when their turn is next. And unless we are hypocrites we can and should do nothing other than applaud.