So this morning, people in Egypt fire a rocket into Israel. A provocation that could spark wider panic and perhaps even war in a region that doesn't need it. I wrote a post last year when this whole thing in Egypt was going down, saying that change for the sake of change is not a panacea - which we've learned here in the US for the last three years. Hillary, on the other hand, said this: It is not a question of who retains power - that should not be the issue. When the Secretary of State doesn't understand that it matters who leads a country, well, that just speaks volumes. She sure thought it mattered when Bush was in office.I said then, and I'll say again: "If the government there actually turns out to be a democracy and run by its own people, odds are that Egypt will no longer be an ally and won't believe in individual freedom."While I support self-rule by people, the basis of that support is a desire for individuals to be free to choose their own direction in life. Tyranny by a majority that results in restricted freedom for the minority is not a government based in freedom. While it might be democracy, its underlying principle is not liberty. "Pushing for democratic change in a region where the people do not embrace freedom is far more likely to turn out badly than it is to turn out well - for that nation's people and for the US." Educated people aren't necessarily smart people, and it's unfortunate that too many look at academic credentials as accomplishment and intellect. It means nothing of the sort.Liberals ought to embrace freedom. Isn't the root of "liberal" liberty? Democracy for democracy's sake shouldn't be a goal. There is a tyranny of the majority, both from the right and from the left, and both are wrong because they ignore every person's right to be free. My definition: you have the right to choose the direction of your life so long as you're not stepping on the liberties of others. Egypt has every right to choose its own course. But when it steps on the liberty of Israel by firing a rocket into its midst, then Israel has every right to defend itself. And should. | 
