Bye, bye Morsi? 48 hour ultimatum from the generals

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

It looks like liberty and freedom are victorious in Egypt tonight, and although the people may have won the battle, they have yet to win the war.  I'll be anxious to see what happens in the next few hours and what happens in the elections.

Yeah, because nothing says "liberty and freedom" like the military overthrowing a democratically elected President

Who proceeded to become a stone-cold dictator. This isn't exactly the democratic process, certainly, but if the military keeps its promises, Egypt should be set down that path again. It's a dangerously big "if", though.

He was still elected though. The proper thing for Egypt to do was to have the Parliament impeach him.

Hugo Chavez was also democratically elected you know. So was Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines in his first election.

And neither of them, as awful as they were, deserved to be toppled in such an undemocratic manner.

[Famous Mortimer]

If there are truly free elections, the Muslim Brotherhood will win again.

[Beet]

The military needs to refrain from violence and stick to its word calling new, fairly implemented, and promptly scheduled elections immediately.

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Why? Of course it's a possibility, but Morsi only narrowly won a year ago, when he was much more popular. I don't see why he would win now. But the MB should certainly be able to fully contest any new elections, and if they win again they should be allowed to take power again.

[Mr. Morden]

If there are truly free elections, the Muslim Brotherhood will win again.

Again...

Top three finishers in the first round of Egypt's 2012 presidential election:

Morsi 25%
Shafik 24%
Sabahi 21%

And then in the runoff:

Morsi 52%
Shafik 48%

And that 52% in the runoff included the votes of many secular liberals who were afraid that a vote for Shafik meant a return to military rule and the days of Mubarak.  If they're more sympathetic with the military now, then I don't see how another Muslim Brotherhood candidate could win.  You might still have someone with Islamist leanings, but someone backed by the MB itself seems unlikely.

[anvi]

This is not an unfamiliar pattern in the region, actually--a secularist military jittery about an Islamist government.  This happened in Turkey, what, three times in the 20th century?

[Rocky Rockefeller]

It looks like liberty and freedom are victorious in Egypt tonight, and although the people may have won the battle, they have yet to win the war.  I'll be anxious to see what happens in the next few hours and what happens in the elections.

Yeah, because nothing says "liberty and freedom" like the military overthrowing a democratically elected President

Who proceeded to become a stone-cold dictator. This isn't exactly the democratic process, certainly, but if the military keeps its promises, Egypt should be set down that path again. It's a dangerously big "if", though.

He was still elected though. The proper thing for Egypt to do was to have the Parliament impeach him.

Hugo Chavez was also democratically elected you know. So was Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines in his first election.

And neither of them, as awful as they were, deserved to be toppled in such an undemocratic manner.

Adolf Hitler and the Nazis came to power through the democratic process you know.

[Old Man Svensson]

It looks like liberty and freedom are victorious in Egypt tonight, and although the people may have won the battle, they have yet to win the war.  I'll be anxious to see what happens in the next few hours and what happens in the elections.

Yeah, because nothing says "liberty and freedom" like the military overthrowing a democratically elected President

Who proceeded to become a stone-cold dictator. This isn't exactly the democratic process, certainly, but if the military keeps its promises, Egypt should be set down that path again. It's a dangerously big "if", though.

He was still elected though. The proper thing for Egypt to do was to have the Parliament impeach him.

Hugo Chavez was also democratically elected you know. So was Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines in his first election.

And neither of them, as awful as they were, deserved to be toppled in such an undemocratic manner.

Adolf Hitler and the Nazis came to power through the democratic process you know.

You just got Godwin in my soup.

(It's true, though.)

[Rocky Rockefeller]

It looks like liberty and freedom are victorious in Egypt tonight, and although the people may have won the battle, they have yet to win the war.  I'll be anxious to see what happens in the next few hours and what happens in the elections.

Yeah, because nothing says "liberty and freedom" like the military overthrowing a democratically elected President

Who proceeded to become a stone-cold dictator. This isn't exactly the democratic process, certainly, but if the military keeps its promises, Egypt should be set down that path again. It's a dangerously big "if", though.

He was still elected though. The proper thing for Egypt to do was to have the Parliament impeach him.

Hugo Chavez was also democratically elected you know. So was Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines in his first election.

And neither of them, as awful as they were, deserved to be toppled in such an undemocratic manner.

Adolf Hitler and the Nazis came to power through the democratic process you know.

You just got Godwin in my soup.

(It's true, though.)

Sorry, I don't usually like pulling the Nazi card but it's a good example of how a democratically elected leader can become an authoritarian dictator.

And I really believe that if Morsi was given the chance he would have only become more authoritarian.

[dead0man]

91 reported rapes in Tahrir Square over the last 4 days.

Fundie nuts in the Sinai are attacking Egyptian Army posts.

[Zanas]

Could you bring a bit context to this arid news about rapes in Tahrir Square ? Source ? Who ? When ? How ?

[dead0man]

Sorry.

Egypt: Epidemic of Sexual Violence

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[Zanas]

This is truly horrendous. :-O

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Adolf Hitler and the Nazis came to power through the democratic process you know.

Not so; they came to power through a constitutional process, which is not the same thing. They were the largest party in several legislative elections though.

[Dereich]

Haven't been able to post about this for a whole but its terrible. Replacing a democratically elected leader in an undemocratic coup because the (minority) urban middle class don't like him is an awful move. This is what elections are for. Replacing leaders. If I was an Egyptian Islamist I don't know why I'd ever trust democracy again

[Antonio the Sixth]

WSJ:

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...

I can't believe WSJ is considered a "serious" newspaper.

[opebo]

Could you bring a bit context to this arid news about rapes in Tahrir Square ? Source ? Who ? When ? How ?

The Islamist side raping the other side.  Its quite normal for them and normal in most Muslim countries.  If you remember Lawrence of Arabia, they don't even confine it entirely to women.

[Hash]

WSJ:

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...

I can't believe WSJ is considered a "serious" newspaper.

Yeah, the 'journalist' who write this (I didn't find a name on the article, interestingly) is probably certainly a huge moron who shouldn't be considered a journalist. Even (good) right-leaning publications like The Economist don't go around Pinochetwanking in this day and age.

[Rocky Rockefeller]

Adolf Hitler and the Nazis came to power through the democratic process you know.

Not so; they came to power through a constitutional process, which is not the same thing. They were the largest party in several legislative elections though.

While that is true it is worth noting that Morsi's actions of pushing through a new constitution without the people's consent, and giving himself broad unchecked powers can be considered a less genocidal watered version of the same thing.

[opebo]

Adolf Hitler and the Nazis came to power through the democratic process you know.

Not so; they came to power through a constitutional process, which is not the same thing. They were the largest party in several legislative elections though.

While that is true it is worth noting that Morsi's actions of pushing through a new constitution without the people's consent, and giving himself broad unchecked powers can be considered a less genocidal watered version of the same thing.

He didn't get around to genocide thanks to the army.

[RodPresident]

Morsi thought that MB would be enough for him. He forgot that his winning coalition wasn't so broad. I think that only a Sabahi victory would pacify Egypt. Baradei and Moussa would be seen as Western puppets.

[Zanas]

Could you bring a bit context to this arid news about rapes in Tahrir Square ? Source ? Who ? When ? How ?

The Islamist side raping the other side.  Its quite normal for them and normal in most Muslim countries.  If you remember Lawrence of Arabia, they don't even confine it entirely to women.

Is it only this way around though ? The aforementioned article didn't specify.

[Rocky Rockefeller]

Could you bring a bit context to this arid news about rapes in Tahrir Square ? Source ? Who ? When ? How ?

The Islamist side raping the other side.  Its quite normal for them and normal in most Muslim countries.  If you remember Lawrence of Arabia, they don't even confine it entirely to women.

This is atrocious.

[ag]

WSJ:

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...

Despicable.

[ag]

This is a big disaster. And, unfortunately, Morsi is not at all the only one to blame.

The military/judiciary, iherited from the old regime are equally guilty. Morsi himself - an uncharismatic and not particularly qualified man - only was elected because the true MB candidate was not allowed to run. He was not the first elected Egyptian oficial - they had a parliament, which the judiciary disbanded on flimsy pretexts, leaving Morsi nearly the only elected authority in the country. At every point the new government sensed the threat from the old regime (and one can hardly claim that it wasn't justified in sensing it). Yes, the new president often reacted stupidly, lashed out, antagonized all those around, let the economy slide. But it took two to dance - the judges and the generals share the blame, at least, equally.

Now, the generals have stuck in front of themselves a judge and claim to be in power. They, really, have only one option: severe, bloody, murderous repression. Anything short of that will lead to a civl war. Remember, the Muslim Brothers have been the moderates on the Islamic side of the spectrum, the ones relatively commited to the democracy. There are many who have always doubted that democracy has anything to offer to their kind. A lot more will now be convinced of that - they tried, they won (fair and square) and this is what they got.  They will fight - they ARE fighting. They believe God is on their side. The generals will have to defeat them to stay alive. Their opponents will be fighting for literal survival as well. It will be bloody and tragic. God (who doesn't exist) help them all!

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

WSJ:

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...

Despicable.

Ugh. I expect that crap from The National Review.