The penny's cost can be amortized out for about 100 years, because it can stay in circulation for a long long time. The life on a circulated bill is most likely no more than 5 years tops.
Not quite so fast, we now have an emerging democracy in Egypt and in Tunisia, The call for democracy in these two nations was brought on by the people, not by an outside influence. IMHO you are jumping the gun a little TJ.