Weekly Question: Do you think democracy can take root in Egypt after Mubarak’s ouster?
Please leave a comment below to let us know what you think.
February 14, 2011
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Please leave a comment below to let us know what you think.
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David Guy
10:05 pm
Feb 14, 2011
Democracy can take root. I say this not with certainty but with plausibility. The Egyptians have seen Iran and the don’t appear to want an theocracy.
However, if democracy is unlikely but still possible the likelihood that the democratic government will be good for Israel is unlikely to the point of impossible. The ‘best’ we can hope for is nothing worse than the present. The worse is that Egypt becomes a ‘confrontation state’. The most likely is that the democratic government will feel it necessary to make certain symbolic but significant gestures against Israel.
Egypt will become like Turkey, a nastily hostile to Israel, democratically elected government.
Well-loved. Agree or Disagree:
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bgitlow
7:02 am
Feb 16, 2011
One of the issues is the power of the muslim terror groups that are formed throuhout the middle east.There is no doubt that the muslim world is jealous of the isreali world.So much so that the teaching throughout is strarted at a very early age.Why is it not possible for all the nations to take advanatage of the Isreali life and what it has brought into the world.With the wealth of the mideat oil the area couldf bvecome a powerful entity and the world would be a better place .
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Arthur Jonath
11:53 pm
Feb 15, 2011
One key is putting people to work in gainful, legitimate jobs. A second is a continual reduction in corruption. A third is investment in creating economic value, And a fourth is accommodation with religious precepts.
Whatever system provides these, democracy or not, will prevail.
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RUTH SIEGEL
7:11 am
Feb 16, 2011
UNLESS WORK IS BROUGHT FORTH SO THEY THEY CAN EARN A DECENT LIVING….IF HUNGRY THEY CAN NOT BECOME FREE AND OF COURSE THE BROTHERHOOD, WHICH IS WELL FINANCED WILL TAKE OVER,,,,THEY NEED JOBS AND EMPLOYMENT….THIS IS WHAT BROUGHT THEM OUT TO REBEL
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Susan
3:15 pm
Feb 16, 2011
To Ruth ,
Do you really believe that the “uprising” occured spontaneously because of the lack of jobs or hunger? I do not think so . I believe it all was a carefully planned operation by Islamic leaders around the world . All of them want to dominate the entire world and with a Muslim president in office , they found the way .They think .
On the other hand, Muslim people everywhere are prone to follow orders .They are commanded to do this and that.They cannot decide for themselves.Ala forbbids! They are also used to living poorly and jobless. That was the excuse they were told to use .
No democracy will prevail among Muslim countries . They hate democracy , they hate Western societies.Mubarak rule was not a democracy either.
Muslims countries are a lost cause. They are beyond help .They will never give up because the people are being held hostage by their Immams , Kings and terrorist organizations. Leaders live like kings thanks to terrorist acts. If they made peace , their bloody business would be over.
Well-loved. Agree or Disagree:
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dr, steve pastner
12:09 am
Feb 16, 2011
The very use of “democracy” as the desired “end ” of , rather than the means, good government is a rhetorical red herring and no inevitable panacea…especially in the middle east.
Hamas was democratically elected, and so was Ahmadineajad ( and Hitler!!) … and they are all horrible.
I wish politicians and “pundits” would hype less about ‘democracy” as the desired end in the Middle east and more about substantive things like “sanity”, “non fanaticism”, “peacefulness-unless-attacked-ism”, “non-corruption”, ” tolerance of peaceful minorities” etc..
Egypt actually has the cultural heritage and demography to actually pull this sort of thing off, but with the Muslim Brothers the best organized faction I”m not betting that it will.
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roy tolchinsky
12:28 am
Feb 16, 2011
I HOPE THAT A FREE DEMOCRATIC EGYPT WILL TAKE ROOT IN EGYPT.I THINK IF OBAMA WOULD STOP INTERFERE A MORE DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY WILL TAKE ROOT.
LIKE MOST RIGHT WING PRO-ISRAELS I AM AGAINST ANTI JEWS WERE EVER THEY
LIVE. I AM PRO DEMOCRACY.I AM SURE THE GREAT MAJORITY OF EGYPIYIAN WANT
A GOOD LIFE FIRST,DONT WANT TO DIE OR KILL JEWS.
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Jackie Cappiello
12:19 am
Feb 16, 2011
Democracy has many faces and it depends on what one means by the term. Yes, I imagine there can be an election and people voted into a legislative body as well as an elected president, as we have in the US. Or possibly a parliamentary system, as in Canada and England could take hold. But the big question is what will be the policies of that “democracy”? Will it be friendly to Israel or not? I think not; most of the women in the square were dressed in hijab, indicating at least a tendency to favor Islam and I heard cries protesting the existence of Jews among those denouncing Mubarek. We will see, but I am worried
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John Versteege
12:22 am
Feb 16, 2011
I think that the first thing Egyptians should be made aware of is that democratie is NOT
a foolproof bandaid to corruption.
We have plenty of it in our systems, but it is more sophisticated…(at least part of the time).
There is going to be a learning curve to a system Egyptians have dreamed of for many a year…
But what we must do, if they ask, is to offer to share with them the many loopholes we have
managed to decipher and conquer for the benefit of all…
We must make sure than their newfound dream does not dissolve into teenage tantrum, but slowly and surely into a model many other aspiring free citizens in the area and the world will come to respect and get resources and advice from….for the benefit of all.
Good wishes to them all!
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Abu Nudnik
12:28 am
Feb 16, 2011
I’m hoping against hope that they can. But since it started with Mubarak “having a stroke” it’s likely to continue in this vein. Crowds of people have been used time and again to topple governments that are not replaced with anything better. With an illiteracy rate of 50% it’s hard to see progress. If a government started moving on illiteracy right away I’d be glad. You can’t have an advanced nation without decent education.
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Susan
6:15 pm
Feb 18, 2011
It has nothing to do with education. Over the years , every dictator in power has tried to supress education. From Peron in Argentina, up to each crazy in office at present.It is just the opposite.
The more ignorant the people, the longer dictators can stay in power.
Illiteracy is 30 % in Egypt. Out of millions – It is not significant .
Muslim countries are not worried about anything but MONEY-Several arab countries are opressing their people-As long as they can live like kings, they do not care about their own, at all.
You will have to look for another excuse to explain the lack of democracy among Arabs.
A shame they do not look at Israel’s institutions and make up a simmilar system . Arabs are just the kingdom of a small elite .They do not want jobs, they want fortunes out of spreading hatred .
Let´s be honest about Arabs versus democracy-
Not all arabs-muslims are terrorists. But every terrorist….you know the rest………
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George Adamowicz
12:29 am
Feb 16, 2011
Democracy is a most unlikely outcome. Egypt has no tradition of or experience with running an open society. If there were free and open elections (again most unlikely) the most likely outcome is a slow descent into putting control in the hands of Islamists who would take the country into either a civil war (as in Algeria) or into a Khomeini-style regime as in Iran.
However the regime has not fallen yet. As de Tocqueville noted, social and cultural continuities survive political upheavals.True, Mubarak has gone, but power in Egypt has been in the hands of the military since the revolution overthrowing the monarchy in 1952. Will the military let go of the strings? Once again – most unlikely.
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v.t
12:53 am
Feb 16, 2011
The Egyptians have a very good example of democracy right next door (Isreal). Too bad there are not more Isreali/Egyptian links where help and support can be used to help them transfer to a democratic system.
The Egyptians have had their Exodus just as we did when we left Egypt.
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Richard Prager
1:01 am
Feb 16, 2011
There is a very simple test question: How many of those demonstrating for “democracy” would even in their wildest dreams accept a woman as the one who wins the free elections (or even worse a gay).
You know the answer and thus you know what we talk about.
The absolutely stupid former UN boss Boutros Boutros-Ghali once when pressed by an interviewer angrily answered that Egypt has Egyptian democracy – for once in his lifetime he made sense.
So YES Egypt can have Egyptian democracy – what that exactly means …
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Albert Reingewirtz
1:18 am
Feb 16, 2011
Who cares? Ever since they got rid of King Farouk Egypt has been controlled by the military. Did you see the news? Egypt is still controlled by the military. We can already hear rumblings to end the agreements with Israel. This will probably the end of the cold peace between Egypt and Israel. Then world media will accuse Israel for the failed peace. What else is new?
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Rachel Saidi
1:39 am
Feb 16, 2011
There is no reason for discussion. The answer is “NO”. With the Muslim Brotherhood attempting to create a “political party” in Egypt there would be no chance for a democracy.
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Nathan Zafran
1:47 am
Feb 16, 2011
There are currently 56 Muslim states including 22 in the Arab League, There are additionally about 14 other states with strong Muslim influence. Please note there is not one single true democracy among them. Some have limited human rights, other are plain theocracies, while many are outright tyrannies and police states. Democracy and Islam can never coexist.
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John Versteege
2:25 am
Feb 16, 2011
Just a follow up on my comment…
Just heard a few minutes ago that CBS 60 minutes correspondant Larra Logan had been sexually attacked in Cairo by a mob of 200 egyptians a few days ago… She was saved by a group of women and apparently a group of 25 soldiers who came to her help. This is a breaking news…
But my point is this…: How can one demonstrate for democracy and attack a woman and .. etc, etc…
I am not sure that things can change that quickly anymore..
Very sad.
This woman is a terrific reporter, has covered dozens of very difficult assignements the world over, never had anything like this ever happened to her, but Cairo was somehow the bastion of a new emerging democracy, and that is going to be a new facet to an already tarnished diamond…
I\Larra was evacuated the next morning to the US, and apparently is still in hospital.
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sw
2:49 am
Feb 16, 2011
NEVER! NOT IN A MILLION YEARS! THEY DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT IT MEANS!
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Rick
2:57 am
Feb 16, 2011
If it does take hold Will the people of a country that has never experienced this form of government know how to sustain it ? Look what happened to Germany after the first world war This chances are slim to none that it cold last
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Steven Kalka
2:58 am
Feb 16, 2011
While democracy may be possible for Egypt, I highly doubt if it will improve the lives of Egyptians. A survey done last year by the Washington based Pew Center for Religion and Public Life found that 84% of Egyptian Muslims believe that Muslims who leave Islam should get the death penalty. If the populace is that narrow minded and ignorant, Egypt could well take a turn for the worse.
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Zipi Neustadt
3:08 am
Feb 16, 2011
Interestingly Egyptian, Tunisian, Yemenite demostrations were void of the usual reminder and placards of the Palestinian plight and the Devils “Israel and America”. Only in London a protest in support of the Egyptian demonstrators reverted to calls of “Free Palestine” in order to elicit some enthusiam from the usual crowd of Leftist Israel haters. Maybe Egyptians and Arabs in general have come to see that their enemy is not Israel and America but their repressive goverments. I have hope!
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Marie S. Schwartz
3:50 am
Feb 16, 2011
Who knows what the internet/facebook/twitter information will influence – We’s diverse in our interest and ability to comprehend the effects, let alone know where the causes are coming from. Climate change disasters are affecting everyone.
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Nelson DaSilva
4:08 am
Feb 16, 2011
Democracy is a continuing process and not something obtained in an instance. There has to be proper mechanisms in place to administer and ensure the continuation of democracy. For Egyptian Muslim society to embrace democracy, it has to relegate selfishness and self-righteousness to the back seat. Furthermore, Egyptian society has to learn and understand civic sense. Deep in the Egyptian Muslim psyche there has to be an unlearning of the hatred and barbarism taught by their religious leaders. Above all they have to get rid of their unfounded religious superiority complex. Friday prayers should be devoted to praying and not listening to venomous lectures being spewed by war mongering religious leaders. If these precepts are observed surely Egypt can be a wholesome and continuing democratic nation. If not, all that the world will see is the making of another Iran, Pakistan, Gaza, Iraq, Afghanistan and a theocracy that follows after an initial pretense of installing a democracy. There are too many qualities wanting in Egyptian society that makes the likelihood of a stable democratic nation a remote possibility. In short only dictatorship can maintain some semblance of stability in a society that is so fundamentally rooted in chauvinism.
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zvi tusk
4:10 am
Feb 16, 2011
The shape of these events is very indicative of Malchus Shomayim. That the entire Egyptian society is turned upside down in 18 days recalls the time in years past when in one short week , the slaves stopped being oppressed ( during the plague of blood) and within a year, the Egyptian Army drowned in the Yam Soof.
Let us remain prayerful that everyone will soon recognize that Hashem is in charge.
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