In the end, Barack Obama made a hugely important but unintended contribution to the democracy revolution in Egypt. Because the White House never found the voice to fully endorse the Tahrir Square revolution until it was over, the people now know one very powerful thing: they did this all by themselves. That is so important. One of the most powerful chants I heard in the square on Friday night was: ”The people made the regime step down.”
This sense of self-empowerment and authenticity – we did this for ourselves, by ourselves – is what makes Egypt’s democracy movement such a potential game-changer for the region. And in case other autocrats have not picked up on that, let me share my second favourite chant from Cairo’s streets after Hosni Mubarak resigned. It was directed at the dictator next door in Libya, Muammar Gaddafi, and it went like this: ”We’re not leaving Tahrir until Gaddafi leaves office.” Hello, Tripoli! Cairo calling.
This could get interesting – for all the region’s autocrats….
[blockquote]…the democracy revolution in Egypt…[/blockquote]
Did I miss something? The military is now in power and their constitution is now suspended. That does not sound like democracy.
Since BHO did not stand up and speak like a leader; that is how the people of Egypt know “they” did it? Thomas is still infatuated with the “annointed one”.
One historian sees it quite a bit differently;
http://www.newsweek.com/2011/02/13/wanted-a-grand-strategy-for-america.html
In theory, the military running things without old the constitution is a bit like what is sometimes called a “Prepackaged Bankruptcy.” The company and the creditors all know and agree what needs to be done, but it is very difficult to do using ordinary methods. So they declare bankruptcy, hand the judge the plan, who then by fiat makes it so. It might work, and that is certainly my prayer, but I would not bet much money on it.
Well, the “people” did it — and the army. Or, to put it another way, the army let the people do it. Old regimes fall when armies refuse to fire on the people. That was true in Tsarist Russia, in Russia in 1991, in Egypt, and everywhere else. Nobody stays in power for long once the army refuses to do their bidding. That would be true in the United States as well as everywhere else.
Obama was quite clueless over the whole affair, as he is on foreign affairs overall.
“The people”? The illiteracy, poverty and religion of Egypt are not good harbingers for democracy. It’s basically a military state and hasn’t changed.