Bye, bye Morsi? 48 hour ultimatum from the generals

[politicus]

The Egyptian army gives Morsi 48 hours to comply with the "demands of the people".
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23133174

Egypt's army gives the Muslim Brotherhood/FJP and the Tamarod opposition movement 48 hours to resolve the political crisis otherwise they offer their own "road map for peace". Looks like a soft coup.

Thoughts? Morsi did win an election after all.

[Cory]

Good. Hope they oust Morsi entirely.

[Silent Hunter]

Thoughts? Morsi did win an election after all.

Didn't Allende?

[politicus]

Thoughts? Morsi did win an election after all.

Didn't Allende?

Naturally. Whats your point?

(To those with limited reading comprehension: Morsi is disliked by Westerners and my question was whether you feel good about him being ousted or not - I got mixed feelings).

[Silent Hunter]

I don't like Islamists as a rule, but democratically elected leaders getting ejected by the military always make me uncomfortable.

[Middle-aged Europe]

As long as it is followed up by another round of more or less free elections I don't have much of a problem with it.

It will be problem if it sets a precedent and the military decides to sack a democratic secularist president one day.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I don't like Islamists as a rule, but democratically elected leaders getting ejected by the military always make me uncomfortable.

Very much. As awful as Morsi has been, he was elected. Knowing Morsi, I think he will want to go out Allende style.

[traininthedistance]

Yeah, "conflicted" is putting it mildly.  I think that most of us here can agree that both Islamists and military coups are bad things.  No great answers here.

I am going to choose to be positive here and assume that the military is acting in response to the popular protests, rather than instigating them.  If it is the former, then I hope they can successfully, but gently, urge a recall election, in which hopefully the more urban and secular portions of the country will be energized to vote in a liberal/moderate. 

If it is the latter, then, ugh, I don't know.

[Franknburger]

I don't like Islamists as a rule, but democratically elected leaders getting ejected by the military always make me uncomfortable.

[Dereich]

This is very worrying. The Egyptians elected Morsi and their choice should be respected. Egypt shouldn't become like Turkey was until a decade ago with the military calling all the shots and democracy being a weak facade. Also, any of you supporing his ouster should really think twice about your priorities. Supporting a coup against him is just as bad as supporting a coup in America or Britain.

[Leftbehind]

I support the protesters, but don't support the military.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Supporting a coup against him is just as bad as supporting a coup in America or Britain.

No, it isn't. Well, maybe it is "as bad" as supporting a military coup against Richard Nixon in July 1974 would have been.

Which still wouldn't have been an ideal solution. An ouster (= resignation) because of the pressure from the street would be preferable. A military coup is only the lesser of two evils.

The greater evil is a president who's violently rejected by up to 48% of his population and doesn't seem to give a sh!t about it. That's the basic problem... from day one he acted as if he were only the president of the 52% who voted for him and everybody else had ceased to exist the day after the election.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Supporting a coup against him is just as bad as supporting a coup in America or Britain.

I take it then that you would have opposed the coups that displaced His Majesty's gouvernments in the American colonies?

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Good. Hope they oust Morsi entirely.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

I don't like Islamists as a rule, but democratically elected leaders getting ejected by the military always make me uncomfortable.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

The greater evil is a president who's violently rejected by up to 48% of his population and doesn't seem to give a sh!t about it. That's the basic problem... from day one he acted as if he were only the president of the 52% who voted for him and everybody else had ceased to exist the day after the election.

That was more or less Margaret Thatcher's attitude from the day she was elected until the day she was forced out by her own party.

[Antonio the Sixth]

If he resigns and new (fair) elections ensure, that would be great. Otherwise, pretty awful.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

The greater evil is a president who's violently rejected by up to 48% of his population and doesn't seem to give a sh!t about it. That's the basic problem... from day one he acted as if he were only the president of the 52% who voted for him and everybody else had ceased to exist the day after the election.

That was more or less Margaret Thatcher's attitude from the day she was elected until the day she was forced out by her own party.

Hasn't Obama done that? Was Nixon not the President of the "silent majority." That's basic politics.

[Franknburger]

Don't forget that the Egyptian army is anything but 'neutral'. Its upper ranks were heavily tied to the Mubarak regime, and I assume there are a number of senior officers that should face corruption trials. This army announcement is not a call for further reform and democratisation, but a roll-back attempt. 

[Blue3]

The Minister of Defense, who gave this ultimatum, was appointed by Morsi

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I don't like Islamists as a rule, but democratically elected leaders getting ejected by the military always make me uncomfortable.

This.

[LastVoter]

The greater evil is a president who's violently rejected by up to 48% of his population and doesn't seem to give a sh!t about it. That's the basic problem... from day one he acted as if he were only the president of the 52% who voted for him and everybody else had ceased to exist the day after the election.

That was more or less Margaret Thatcher's attitude from the day she was elected until the day she was forced out by her own party.

Hasn't Obama done that? Was Nixon not the President of the "silent majority." That's basic politics.

No, both of these were presidents for 1%.

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

Egypt shouldn't become like Turkey was until a decade ago with the military calling all the shots and democracy being a weak facade.

I'm squeamish about the military taking control as well, but the Turkish military has been largely responsible for maintaining Turkey's secular governance.  Perhaps they can provide that kind of leadership in Egypt as well.

Secular democratic rule > Secular military rule > Islamist 'democracy'

[Mr. Morden]

Morsi of course staged something of a "coup" of his own last year, when he granted himself wide ranging powers on an interim basis:

https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=157360.msg3384493#msg3384493

So yeah, he was elected, but he hasn't exactly played fair since then.  Still, the way this is unfolding is less than ideal, to say the least.

[traininthedistance]

Hasn't Obama done that?

I'm pretty sure Obama has gone out of his way to do the exact opposite.