Rand Paul on the Egyptian Coup

From his July 4th Op-Ed in the Washington Times:

In Egypt, protest is met with tear gas, manufactured in America and paid for with American taxes. When Egyptians protest, they protest against their government and also America for subsidizing that government.

Despite the fact that Mohamed Morsi recently convicted 16 Americans of political crimes in a show trial, the Obama administration still sent them over $2 billion this year.

American tax dollars flow no matter which despot rules.

Hosni Mubarak brutally suppressed protest over three decades of martial law. Yet, we sent him some $60 billion, much of which was stolen by Mr. Mubarak and his family.

Mr. Mubarak abused his citizens and his own power, yet we gave him billions of dollars and advanced weaponry, including F-16 jets. Mr. Mubarak would eventually use those jets to intimidate the protesters who would eventually end his regime.

Today, we give the same billions and fighter jets to Mr. Mubarak's successor, Mr. Morsi, who the protesters now see in the same light as Mr. Mubarak.

But worse, due to our aid and support, Egyptians see Mr. Morsi and America as the same.

Some American politicians never know when to say no. Three prominent interventionists called for arming Moammar Gadhafi the year before they called for arming the Libyan Islamists rebels who overthrew Gadhafi. Which Islamic rebels killed the American ambassador? No one seems to know and no one has been brought to justice. Often, today's "rebels" can become tomorrow's tyrants, and vice versa.

Persistent and perpetual intervention inevitably leads to American dollars flowing to despots.

How does it look to the world when we celebrate independence and freedom in our own country while aiding and abetting dictators and despots who deny liberty to their own people?

Now, Mr. Morsi has been ousted due to massive protests — and we subsidized his government the entire time he was in power.

In all likelihood, we will continue to finance the military junta that replaces him.

Why? To what end?

People must fight for their own freedom. We fought for it in our own country, even as we see today's government so often betraying the Founders' vision. We see people fighting for freedom in other countries, even as US interventions work to stifle their efforts.