I know my view is somewhat unpopular in Egypt but I do think it's the truth. I think we had a well orchestrated coup. A coup that could be worthy of teaching someday.
I'm typing this in the craziest place possible. I'm holed up in the bathroom of my apartment in Alexandria because that's the only place I can get decent internet. I'm new in Alex so don't have people to hang out with and am not exactly on top of everything that is happening in Egypt, but then sometimes its better to not know everything second by second.
President Morsi was very unpopular to say the least. Most conservative Muslim Egyptians still supported him but his main stream support was tanking by the day. To a large extent it is his and the Muslim Brotherhood's fault. I think they approached their assuming of power as it being their long awaited turn to rule Egypt. Unfortunately after the revolution that ousted Mubarak we were still an nation in transition and needed to be ruled that way. We needed a more re-conciliatory rhetoric from the president. He needed to compromise more to make his decisions more popular with more parties involved. But instead when dialogue was needed he would try to press his own agenda through and in other cases when all we needed was strong leadership he called for dialogue.
Now Mubarak's regime was deeply entrenched mind you. So really doing anything in the way of change needed all pro-revolutionary factions to be on the same page as the president and as I already said he was all to quick to lose friends and allies.
So why is it a coup? A lot of Egyptians are angry that western media is calling it a coup. And in a way there were mass demonstrations. And people were really dissatisfied and happy to see him go; so still a coup? Well if the demonstrations had lasted longer and he was forced to call for early elections than maybe it wouldn't be. But the army just happened to step in a little to quickly to put it at anything other than a premeditated coup that was looking for a populous cover.
The thing is Morsi wasn't just unpopular because of him alienating friends. His first year as a president has been sabotaged. And that is because lacking the popular support he was unable to remove the old regime's people from important places. For one we had frequent fuel shortages; all while seeing reports of tanker trucks literally dumping their load: no police to intervene of course. Then there were the power outages on a daily basis for months with no solution in sight. We've been fine lately.
The two worse offenders of the Mubarak era were the police and judiciary. Both have been largely untouched by Morsi. Two days before the army announced the coup the police were parading in the streets celebrating. These are the same police who spent most of their lives oppressing Egyptians especially anyone looking too religious. For the last year they have been essentially on paid leave. Car thefts and other crimes have been on the rise and nothing really could make them care less. Sadder people seem to have forgotten all the police's previous crimes.
And of course the polices worst crime of all lest we forget, its currently going on too, is letting people kill each other. When the protest were against Mubarak they tried to forcefully stop the protests. Ever since they have decided to have nothing to do with any protest, even when two sides are clashing. Currently pro and anti Morsi protestors are clashing. I guess you would say the pro Morsi people at fault for going to Tahrir but again no police or army for that matter.
The way it looks it seems the army could care less. After all, all these people from both sides would be against the military rule. So I guess the military's strategy is let them kill each other and we'll support who ever wins?
All I know is that I don't know where to stand other than the sidelines. I think both sides of the debate are in the wrong. I think the call for new elections had to come from the president--were're slightly passed that. I feel both sides are being played like a fiddle by the remnants of Mubarak's regime and the army. In a way I see everyone as pawns in a game orchestrated by the army and the old regime. This time around the secularists seem to be the 'winning' side. But is there a winner other than the army?
I'm typing this in the craziest place possible. I'm holed up in the bathroom of my apartment in Alexandria because that's the only place I can get decent internet. I'm new in Alex so don't have people to hang out with and am not exactly on top of everything that is happening in Egypt, but then sometimes its better to not know everything second by second.
President Morsi was very unpopular to say the least. Most conservative Muslim Egyptians still supported him but his main stream support was tanking by the day. To a large extent it is his and the Muslim Brotherhood's fault. I think they approached their assuming of power as it being their long awaited turn to rule Egypt. Unfortunately after the revolution that ousted Mubarak we were still an nation in transition and needed to be ruled that way. We needed a more re-conciliatory rhetoric from the president. He needed to compromise more to make his decisions more popular with more parties involved. But instead when dialogue was needed he would try to press his own agenda through and in other cases when all we needed was strong leadership he called for dialogue.
Now Mubarak's regime was deeply entrenched mind you. So really doing anything in the way of change needed all pro-revolutionary factions to be on the same page as the president and as I already said he was all to quick to lose friends and allies.
So why is it a coup? A lot of Egyptians are angry that western media is calling it a coup. And in a way there were mass demonstrations. And people were really dissatisfied and happy to see him go; so still a coup? Well if the demonstrations had lasted longer and he was forced to call for early elections than maybe it wouldn't be. But the army just happened to step in a little to quickly to put it at anything other than a premeditated coup that was looking for a populous cover.
The thing is Morsi wasn't just unpopular because of him alienating friends. His first year as a president has been sabotaged. And that is because lacking the popular support he was unable to remove the old regime's people from important places. For one we had frequent fuel shortages; all while seeing reports of tanker trucks literally dumping their load: no police to intervene of course. Then there were the power outages on a daily basis for months with no solution in sight. We've been fine lately.
The two worse offenders of the Mubarak era were the police and judiciary. Both have been largely untouched by Morsi. Two days before the army announced the coup the police were parading in the streets celebrating. These are the same police who spent most of their lives oppressing Egyptians especially anyone looking too religious. For the last year they have been essentially on paid leave. Car thefts and other crimes have been on the rise and nothing really could make them care less. Sadder people seem to have forgotten all the police's previous crimes.
And of course the polices worst crime of all lest we forget, its currently going on too, is letting people kill each other. When the protest were against Mubarak they tried to forcefully stop the protests. Ever since they have decided to have nothing to do with any protest, even when two sides are clashing. Currently pro and anti Morsi protestors are clashing. I guess you would say the pro Morsi people at fault for going to Tahrir but again no police or army for that matter.
The way it looks it seems the army could care less. After all, all these people from both sides would be against the military rule. So I guess the military's strategy is let them kill each other and we'll support who ever wins?
All I know is that I don't know where to stand other than the sidelines. I think both sides of the debate are in the wrong. I think the call for new elections had to come from the president--were're slightly passed that. I feel both sides are being played like a fiddle by the remnants of Mubarak's regime and the army. In a way I see everyone as pawns in a game orchestrated by the army and the old regime. This time around the secularists seem to be the 'winning' side. But is there a winner other than the army?
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