Cultural Diplomacy

Egypt has just held its first free and mostly fair elections and selected a new president. But the situation is in turmoil, as the junta (the SCAF, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces) has also just neutered the power of the presidency, shut the Parliament, and seized even more power for itself. The US arms the junta to the tune of $1.2 billion a year.

So this announcement seems really appropriate doesn't it? An event organized by the US embassy:

For the First Time in Egypt
American Idol Finalists
in the Cairo Opera House Open Air Theatre
on Friday, July 6 2012
at 8:00 pm.
Ticket Price:10 EGP.

(Courtesy Sarah Carr.)

Are they sending J-Lo to impress the Egyptians that minorities play an important cultural role in the US??

Wouldn't it be better to tell the SCAF to hand over power to civilian rule or the dollars will be cut?