There was an irony, on the eve of our Independence Day, in witnessing fireworks in Tahrir Square celebrating a forced military change of power. It serves as yet another vivid reminder that democracy does not always come easily or neatly
Our concepts of orderly
transition are only that.
Even in our country, where we celebrate 237 years since we declared our right to self rule, there have been bumps and bruises. The civil war taught us, 85 years after our Declaration of Independence, how fragile a concept we are living under.
Hopefully Egypt will prove resilient enough to withstand the growing pains and emerge stronger and ever more resolute to form a government that is receptive to the needs of all its people.
Last night I watched the night sky bursting above me and gave thanks for our system of government, as imperfect and frustrating at it so often seems. My feelings were only elevated having just witnessed the cheering going on in another universe for a very un-democratic ending to the
presidency of Mr. Morsi.
1 comment:
In the US we have Jeffersonian democracy, meaning that majority wins but the minority has rights. There is also a balance of power amongst the 3 branches of government--something that our right wing disputes and most Americans know nothing about. Egyptian "democracy" meant winning and then imposing a Carthinian will upon everyone. The decapitation of Morsi is good for America, Israel and other American interests. It is a ground-up, native rejection of political Islam which is both incompetent and a threat to world peace. Our notion that perhaps Morsi's ouster was by way of a military coup-de-e'tat and, hence, wrong, is mollified by our applause for those modern seeking Egyptians who long for a vibrant and fully integrated economy and, perhaps most of all, a separation of mosque and state. Bravo....until the next revolt?
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