( CNN ) -- As it measures its response to the recent events on Egypt , the U.S. needs to be extremely careful about focusing on the definition of `` coup '' and the legitimacy -- or non-legitimacy -- of Mohamed Morsy 's election , the draft constitution , and the now-ousted Egyptian president 's efforts to give himself additional powers . It needs to be equally careful about focusing on the protests that helped drive him from power , and the legitimacy of political Islam . If the U.S. focuses on whether or not a coup took place , it will be ignoring the fact that Egypt is a key center of the Middle East and that U.S. policy will be judged by its success in meeting the needs of Egypt 's people . Egypt is a nation whose problems go far deeper than the crisis that began January 2011 . As the Arab Human Development report made clear in 2009 , former President Hosni Mubarak 's rule had become steadily more ineffective , corrupt , and incapable of meeting the needs of Egypt 's people long before 2011 . He had been in power since October 1981 , but the social and economic progress he made in his first decade in power had faded into a static , incompetent regime by 2005 , and one that became steadily more corrupt and unable to meet the needs of Egypt 's young and growing population . The last two years have made the situation far worse in ways that affect every aspect of day-to-day life . Mubarak 's fall tore down a fragile regime that mixed a state-driven economy with crony capitalism . It was a country with a bureaucracy that could barely function without a strong leader , one with no opposition parties that had real political experience or capability to govern , and whose `` reformers '' were ( and still are ) protesters with no capability to make real reforms . Opinion : In Egypt , get ready for extremist backlash . The end result is that Egypt is not an abstract exercise in political theory . It is a nation of more than 85 million people , at least 25 % of whom live in dire poverty , and where unemployment and underemployment can no longer be accurately estimated but have reached the crisis level . It is a nation with over 50 % of its population under 25 years of age , and 31 % under 14 , but with an education system in breakdown and much of the infrastructure frozen or losing capacity . Egypt 's foreign reserves have dropped by more than 50 % and it faces a crisis in getting loans from the International Monetary Fund . It is a nation where foreign investment has critically declined , tourist revenue has dropped sharply , where many small businesses have already collapsed , and many middle class Egyptians have lost their jobs and savings . Fuel and electric power are lacking , food subsidies are uncertain and sometimes failing , the currency is increasingly unstable , and crime has skyrocketed . U.S. policy must focus on these realities , and not just politics . The U.S. , in partnership with its allies , the World Bank and other international aid agencies institutions needs to support immediate Egyptian efforts to salvage the economy and bring economic reform . It needs to focus on bringing relief and stability . No Egyptian government can succeed -- democratic or not -- that can not meet the needs of the Egyptian people . Real political legitimacy is not determined by how a government is chosen , but by how well it can meet the needs of its people . Opinion : Will Egypt 's Muslim Brotherhood survive ? As for politics , the U.S. needs to work with other states to push Egypt 's military to support the reforms that failed between early 2011 and Morsy 's fall . This means a broad-based effort to agree on a constitution , the creation of real political parties , and help for protesters learning how to organize politically and focus on practical governance and reform . It means taking enough time for elections to be open , to include Islamic and more secular parties , and focusing on the same kind of mixed national government and consensus politics that seem to have emerged in Tunisia . One test of a solution to a problem is that it does not make things even worse . Threatening Egypt 's military , rigidly cutting off aid because of a `` coup '' under conditions where there is no credible replacement government , and standing aside as Egypt drifts towards internal collapse is not a strategy . Letting today 's celebration of Morsy 's fall turn into civil conflict and political paralysis will be a moral and ethical failure on the part of the Obama administration and the Congress , one that will do the Egyptian people vast harm , cripple a key ally , and leave a legacy of lasting anger in both Egypt and the region . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Anthony Cordesman .
Cordesman : U.S. must focus not on details of Morsy ouster but on Egypt 's ongoing crisis . He says Mubarak corrupt , ineffective , but in past 2 years , nation in economic collapse . He says U.S. most focus on reality , work with World Bank , allies to raid Egypt economy . Comment: Threatening aid cutoff while nation in flux could do vast harm , cripple a key regional ally .