Here’s a statement from our State Department’s statement concerning Mohamed Morsi’s power grab (coup?) in Egypt:
The decisions and declarations announced on November 22 raise concerns for many Egyptians and for the international community. One of the aspirations of the revolution was to ensure that power would not be overly concentrated in the hands of any one person or institution. The current constitutional vacuum in Egypt can only be resolved by the adoption of a constitution that includes checks and balances, and respects fundamental freedoms, individual rights, and the rule of law consistent with Egypt’s international commitments. We call for calm and encourage all parties to work together and call for all Egyptians to resolve their differences over these important issues peacefully and through democratic dialogue.
This wishy-washy set of remarks is another example a foreign policy of leading from behind—which is to say following, and being influenced by the events ahead.
The answer to the question, then, seems to be…yes. We just haven’t seen it yet.