Money don't buy you love, at least in the Middle East

Consider these two points from an article in today's Christian Science Monitor:

• A June poll by Zogby International in six Arab countries showed that America's already-limited esteem in the Arab world has plummeted since the invasion of Iraq. Just two years ago, Zogby found that 76 percent of Egyptians had an unfavorable impression of the US. Today, that number is 98 percent.
• Since 1979, Egypt has received about $2.1 billion a year in US military and general economic aide. In that period, the number of opposition members of parliament has shrunk, and the economy has stagnated. Human rights groups complain the government uses arrests and torture to silence its opponents.