Day: July 4, 2013
Was the coup a good idea?
This piece has been cross-posted at Ghurbeh.
Like many, I’m confused about the events in Egypt. While I sympathize with Tamarod’s grievances, ousting President Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood was not a good idea. The movement had no other agenda. They did not outline what will happen the day after. They were waiting for the military to announce the post-Morsi transition. Why didn’t Tamarod propose its own agenda?
Morsi ruled Egypt for only one year. He made many mistakes. But Egyptians should not have expected their situation to improve in just one year. If opposition leaders had thought strategically about their future, they would have wanted to keep Morsi in power. The first few years after a revolution are always difficult, making any government unpopular. The opposition should have expected that by the end of Morsi’s first term, they would be able to win elections. Ruling Egypt three years from now would have been easier. If the opposition comes to power now, its popularity will almost inevitably decrease. The new opposition (the Brotherhood), will gain more support, and might be able to win elections in a few years.
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Leahy and democracy in Egypt
Senator Leahy said yesterday:
U.S. aid is cut off when a democratically elected government is deposed by military coup or decree.
This explains why even otherwise reasonable people are bending over backwards to claim that what happened in Egypt yesterday is not a coup, despite the obvious. It also explains President Obama’s deep concern about a coup that removed an unfriendly Muslim Brotherhood and put a friendly army in charge. It may even explain why the Egyptian army chose to turn over governing authority quickly to the chief justice of the Supreme Constitutional Court, who was sworn in as President today (despite suspension of the constitution). Read more
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