thepoliblog

An Historic Opportunity for Egypt’s Military

Mohamed Morsi, photographed at on May 8, 2013 by Wilson Dias for Agência Brasil, during Morsi’s reception by President Dilma Rousseff, of Brazil.
The original image has been turned upside down.

Until this week, Egypt’s military seemed fated to appear in the history books as being blind to the benefits of democracy and of an open society, and as interested only in its own welfare and power.

Its removal of the undemocratic, autocratic, coercive Morsi regime and the Islamic Brotherhood from power suddenly offers the prospect that Egypt’s military can now end up being recognized as truly patriotic, as the friend and defender of democracy and of an open society, and therefore as the defender of the true interests of Egypt.

Although Morsi and the Islamicists were elected, they were elected because the majority that opposes their policies did not understand what was at stake in the election, nor the need for political organization.  Many did not vote.  The secularist opposition was fragmented.  This is well described in an article by Abigail Hauslohner in the Washington Post.

That was because during that election, democracy was new to Egypt.  The results of the election were not the results of a functioning democracy.  The overthrow of Morsi and the Islamicists was not an assault on democracy.  Jack H. G. Darrant, whose blog The Political Idealist is noted for its rigorous analyses, came to the same conclusion.

Egypt has learned a lot as a result of seeing Morsi and the Islamicists in action.  Morsi and the Islamicists do not understand and value democracy and an open society, do not want to understand, and never will understand.  They are autocrats at heart.

Egypt’s military has given Egypt a new chance to build a thriving, open society.