Saturday, August 24, 2013

Egypt From Another Perspective

It isn't uncommon for Canadian analysts to have a different, useful "take" on one or another global development. One such is this National Post column by George Jonas. Hat tip to RealClearWorld for the link.

Mulling over what has happened in Egypt over the last several years, Jonas puts particular emphasis on the role of its military. He believes the Egyptian military has been instrumental in fall of both Mubarak and Morsi.

Both Mubarak and Morsi were working to set up dictatorships that did not include the military in the inner circle of power. Jonas believes Mubarak was trying to hand the government to his son dynastically whereas Morsi tried to set up a theocracy like that in Iran. Neither future suited the Egyptian military.

The Egyptian military certainly has been involved, but did they persuade hundreds of thousands of ordinary Egyptians to take to the streets in protest? I think not; it feels like the generals reacted, more than acted.