And Obama has made his support of democratic aspirations clear, to the dismay of allies like Israel and Saudi Arabia. However, as recent history has shown, toppling strongmen is only the beginning of the democratization process.
但这并不是说美国应该永远采取消极的态度。 事实并非如此。 在美国影响力能够波及的领域，比方说埃及军队，这种影响力已经在发挥作用。 而且奥巴马明确表示支持民主诉求，这一点是以色列和沙特阿拉伯等盟友始料未及的。 但正像近来事态发展所表明的那样，推翻独裁政权只不过是民主进程的开始。