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Lurking behind El Baradei is the Muslim Brotherhood.  It, too, is divided, with a dominant wing composed of young, modernist Muslims who want to mimic Turkey.  If the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's favorite Islamists in Istanbul can do business with Washington, why not their Egyptian equivalents?  They have been engaged in private discussions with informal emissaries from the U.S. for more than a decade.

Nonetheless, a regime propelled into office via an uprising from below can't be as cavalier in disregarding public opinion, and nor is this a time for the U.S. to start preaching the virtues of liberal capitalism: The recent fate of Iceland, Ireland and Greece should be enough on that score.

Internally, what is required is to rebuild the abandoned social safety net, providing elementary health, education and housing for the poor.

Externally, Egypt's relationship with the U.S. and Israel will have to be modified, regardless of who succeeds Mubarak.  A peace treaty that benefits Israel alone was never accepted by the Egyptian people.

Only then will Egypt be able to stop the bleeding