As the military regime in Egypt tries to consolidate its hold on power, it is whipping up nationalist distrust of foreigners. The Wall Street Journal reports:

After a lull, Egypt’s new military rulers are increasingly using the same tactic: portraying pro-democracy activists as spies and saboteurs, blaming the country’s economic crisis and sectarian strife on foreign infiltrators, and blasting the U.S. for funding agents of change.

As a result, connections with the U.S. and other Western countries have turned toxic just as the largest Arab country is struggling with a rocky transition to democracy.

It’s almost as if local nationalists can use foreign support for protesters and dissidents as a bludgeon against advocates of political reform. Who would have guessed that outside meddling in other nations’ political affairs might be a cause of resentment? This lesson doesn’t just apply to Egypt. If we would like to see liberal and secular forces improve their political standing in Egypt, one of the worst things we can do is to lend them direct aid.

Not to be outdone, Egyptian liberals are eager to emphasize their own nationalist credibility by distancing themselves from the U.S.:

Even the more liberal parties vying for power are joining the anti-Western chorus. “America does not want for Egypt to become the largest democratic country in the region,” says Al-Sayed al-Badawy, chairman of the secular and liberal Wafd party. “The aim of American funding for Egyptian NGOs is to create chaos and to overthrow Egyptian values and traditions.”

Americans will find this annoying, but this is actually a good sign for the future of Egyptian liberalism. If Egyptian liberals do not identify themselves with foreign sponsors, and if they make their arguments in ways that respect the “values and traditions” of the majority, they will at least have a chance of becoming a competitive political force. It is no guarantee of success, but the alternative is to be perceived as discredited lackeys of foreign governments.