Remember how tense the protests against Mubarak were? Specifically, do you recall the White House making clear it did not want to see Mubaraks soldiers firing on protesters with US made and sold M-16s? Egypts new president is not placating Obama because he feels guilt over the embassy attack or some idealistic commitment to free speech: He does want to lose $1.6 billion in US aid (which we can ill afford,) or the other money Egypt earns from private US industry and trade. Yet given its demonstrated unpopularity in Egypt and costs (both material and human) to Americans, why should it continue?

Most of them do not want us there, and we derive dubious benefits (yet substantial risks) from being there: Why SHOULD we be there...?

Every time a military strongman turns US made weapons on oppressed millions demanding his ouster, his victims hate us a little more. Knowing (or believing) we only support him to secure our own regional strategic interests and ensure our multinationals profit deepens their hatred. We can end that without recalling ambassadors and severing diplomatic relations. We can talk with oppressive government without supporting them and thereby becoming complicit in their excesses.