But while America has received handsome payouts for previous bets on regional autocrats, it must be careful on how it moves forward in Egypt. Not all authoritarianism is created equal. Morsi is not Mubarak. And the Egyptian revolution is far from over.
It’s becoming apparent that Morsi needs to strike a balance between upholding the principles of democracy he claims to champion, and keep his popularity high in a nation where the people of Tahrir are still truly empowered.
" The other notion suggests not shying away from the inconsistency, but embracing it. One can see Morsi as both a responsible pragmatic arbiter, and a dictatorial Islamist leader, for he is both, and one can see Israel as responsible in its attempts to limit the casualties of a complicated war but also strategically shortsighted in building in E1, for both are true."
At present, the Egyptian political scene sees the negotiations over its constitution as its primary struggle for the future. The political climate, nonetheless, that will emerge is not bound by new laws: It is an ethos that will characterize how the country expresses its pluralistic interests for years to come.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been accused of many things throughout her political career. Yet until her visit to Egypt this past July, being a “Secret Islamist” was not one of them. Pulling up to the Four Seasons in Cairo, however, Clinton encountered a number of surprising allegations.
On Wednesday, The New School hosted a panel featuring academics well-versed on different facets of Egyptian society. The topic of the discussion was Egypt after the presidential elections.
With Israelis and Egyptians still not trusting each other, the treaty needs to be made relevant for the 21st century. This month’s security problems prove that Israeli-Egyptian cooperation is a strategic necessity; the Sinai should therefore become a model of collaboration, not of confrontation
The work of groups like the National Front, which includes renowned Egyptian journalists, academics, and political analysts, keeps Morsi’s powers in check. Hopefully, his quasi-dictatorial powers won’t last long.
Despite changing governance in the region, the United States will uphold its policies of the past three decades so long as it continues offering aid to the Egyptian military and the military respects its peace treaty with Israel.
We may be collectively worried about the stability of Egypt’s fledgling democracy, but this is a normal and expected concern. It is part of the process of democratization. But it is a mistake to confuse our anxiety with a suggestion that the Egyptian revolution has failed.
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