Reports of American Decline Are Exaggerated

As the debate rumbles over a potential end to American aid in Egypt, some claim that this great Arab nation isn't that important any more. They argue that while it may once have been central to the Middle Eastern political and strategic landscape, Egypt is now largely irrelevant.

This is a gross error. In fact, Egypt remains enormously important to the broader region, but such discourse reflects the growing desperation of those who want its aid cancelled. Thankfully, cooler heads are beginning to prevail in Washington, as Americans remember the importance of the US-Egypt relationship.

But the debate also subtly invokes two larger issues facing the American establishment: the "pivot to Asia," and "American declinism".