A pipe in the street of Egyptian-American relations has burst and will have to be repaired on the spot, as was the case in previous decades.
Indeed, neither side has studied the nature of the relationship between Egypt and the U.S. It's a strange relationship, already worthy of study, because it combines intractable contradictions – unless, that is, you look at it as a love-hate relationship, or one within the framework of the Egyptian proverb: "The flagging of a lover tastes like raisins."
We can understand that blows by each party are not painful, but taste like raisins. Every Egyptian – and I mean every Egyptian – hopes their son or daughter will one day work for an American company. But every Egyptian, with the exception of those who are worried about saying what they think, hates USAID and hopes to cut it off immediately. This kind of talk resembles two lovers in a state of anger. They all know that American aid contributed to the building of modern Egypt and that cutting off military aid will create unnecessary financial troubles without political gains in the future.
Such calls are like an ululation shouted by someone who has nothing to lose. May God curse the desire to show gallantry in front of the cameras. As this era has become the era of fabrication and made-up stories, you should not be surprised to discover from these people that Russia is ready to give us free weapons – at highly concessional terms – and that the F16 is much weaker of a plane than the Russian K-17. So we can buy two K-17s and get a third one for free. China meanwhile, according to them, is ready to give Egypt five free destroyers on every submarine it purchases – including a grace period of 10 years.
Now we come to that broken pipe. During President Barack Obama's first term in office, it was easy for me to know that Obama would sweep over his rival John McCain, because of a phrase the latter uttered, underestimating Obama by saying he was "inexperienced". I realized immediately that this man does not know what effect words can have on people. He had to know that his words would urge tens of millions of young people in America to elect Obama.
Mr. Lindsey Graham's words, on the other hand, are really shiny and impressive: "The people who are in charge were not elected, and the people who were elected are now in jail." The same meaning given by late Ismail Yassin- famous Egyptian comedian- 50 years ago when he said: "Some people gain a lot with no effort, while others make effort and gain nothing. Don't be surprised, don't wonder."
The problem is that you directed your question to us, not yourself, why the majority in Egypt chose the Muslim Brotherhood and why they decided to get rid of them after one year? All students of political science in US should consider to provide an answer.
Ali Salem is an Egyptian playwright, author, and political commentator known for his support of peace with Israel. The Los Angeles Times once described him as "a big, loud man known for his satiric wit".
