Former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton, addressing a crowd that skewed older than most the CPAC speeches, expressed less faith in the February Revolution than many of his contemporaries. He made sure to note that there is “a real well established democracy in Israel, the only real democracy in the Middle East.” Bolton also said that before worrying about democracy in Egypt, “first and foremost we must make the world safe for ourselves.”

Bolton raised Germany’s election of Adolf Hitler and Russia’s election of Vladimir Putin as examples of how democracy doesn’t always create a more Liberal environment. “Democracy is more than holding elections and counting votes, it is a way of life” Bolton warned.