Good News for MidEast Civilians.

Maybe we won't have the money to meddle further. Hope and change!

And great news if you believe in the principle of self determination for all deserving peoples across the globe. You gotta want it, and work for it yourselves in order to gain independence... for yourself and your children too.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States may lose its chance to reshape the politics of the Middle East if budget pressures hobble U.S. support for democratic forces emerging in countries such as Egypt and Tunisia, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Tuesday.
...
"We have an opportunity right now in the Middle East and North Africa that I'm not sure we're going to be able to meet because we don't have the resources to invest," Clinton said, citing Egypt, Tunisia and Libya as badly in need of U.S. help.

"Budget documents are value statements: who we are as a people, what we stand for, what investments we're making in the future," Clinton said.

"Whether we will continue to be strong and be able to project American power is up for grabs, and we're going to make the best case we can that American power is a power for the good...we hope that it will find a ready audience in the Congress as these negotiations resume."

It doesn't take money to make you strong, Hil.
You've been hanging with the Washington lobbyists too much, I fear.

The International Monetary Fund has estimated that the oil-importing countries of the Middle East and North Africa such as Egypt and Tunisia will need more than $160 billion over the next three years.

Obama has pledged to support democratic transitions in both countries, but to date has offered relatively limited assistance including a debt swap worth roughly $1 billion for Egypt and another $1 billion in loans and loan guarantees.

Clinton said that despite the financial constraints, the United States remained the world's leading power -- but was using that power, as in the case of the internationally-backed campaign against Libya's Muammar Gaddafi, to build alliances and share burdens with other countries.

"This is exactly the kind of world that I want to see, where it's not just the United States and everybody is standing on the sidelines while we bear the costs, while we bear the sacrifice, while our men and women...lay down their lives for universal values," she said.

I wonder if the soldiers know they are no longer fighting to protect civilian lives, but to "lay down their lives for universal values" now. Somehow, I doubt it.

"We need to have a responsible conversation about how we're going to prepare ourselves for the future," Clinton said.

I think the time for talking has pretty much passed, no?

I mean, if you can't arm-twist your alleged allies into understanding why now is not the time to build your people housing developments on contested land ... we're weakened already, no?

And now, we're pretty much just carrying water for Israel. Waiting to see what they get us into, our unconditional guarantee to always have their back and all...