The first thing that I have to say is that the Egyptian Army is to be commended - their actions throughout this ordeal have been the saving grace for that nation. There is a lot to be said about that too - and I intend to here in just a moment, but first to set the stage.
Egypt receives about 25% of all of the foreign aid that this country puts out, it is the second largest recipient behind Israel (who gets about half of the entire foreign aid budget). However foreign aid is not sent as pallet's full of cash, and many believe. Nope, in almost every case (Israel being the lone exception) that is not how we do it. What we do is give credit for the puchase of US goods and services, which of course are then paid for by taxpayers. So to a very large extent our foreign aid is what keeps tens, and in fact hundreds of thousands of US workers in jobs - Canadians too by various trade mechninisms. That is something that the politicians who sucker the crowds with calls for cuts in foreign aid are either too stupid to know or do know and don't tell anyone for reasons of their own.
Back to the subject ... The Army in this case has operated only to interrupt extremes of violence, not to take sides. And when the current regime departs (along with the state controlled Police) it will fall to the Army to continue to maintain order - if not governance - during the interum awaiting a popular Government to form. And one will form too, the crowds that form today will demand that tomorrow, and they have shown they will be appeased.
If the events in Egypt had played out in this country there would have been a slaughter in Washington this past week that would have made Gettysburg look like a church picnic - and that speaks to the insanity of this country as much as to the civility and sanity of the Egyptian people. They are to be commended as much as their Army. They haven't killed each other in droves, and any other place that is surely what would have happened by now - history shows is that much.
And now that matter of foreign aid and the Army. Most of our aid to Egypt is military aid and a great deal of that comes in the form of training of their Officer Corps. I'd be willing to bet that every senior Officer in the Egyptian Army has received substantial training in the US. And what has come of that? Well, they are maintaing order without taking over the country - and that in itself is a truly amazing thing. And that is why in the beginning I said they were commendable - they certainly are that.
And now you know my opinion and a bit about what caused it to form, you may agree or disagree.
