- The scene: Egypt
- Our story so far: The Muslim Brotherhood (MB) took over same, to much jubilation
- A bit of melodrama: a military coup d'etat, end of MB dominance
- Next: who knows?
The dream of Muslims is a Global
Caliphate, that is all countries on the earth being under Sharia Law.
Egypt is the crown jewel of the Arab world. Therefore, when the MB
took control of Egypt, it was the first step in a long-held Islamic
dream. They consolidated power with breathtaking speed and
effectiveness: packing Parliament with lackeys, rewrote the
constitution, and put loyal allies in key positions of the military.
Problem: MB had zero plans for the
Egyptian economy. To their minds, such considerations (not to mention
democratic political institutions) were unworthy of their
consideration, being remnants of Western/Christian civilization. They
have no use for any of it. Being intransigent about their behavior,
the IMF cut them off: the US was one of the few places still
supplying $. Predictably, the economy tanked: popular unrest,
demonstrations, and riots.
Not surprisingly, the army stepped in
(as it has before), removed the MB president, suspended the
constitution, and dissolved parliament. They installed a new
President and Prime Minister, and scheduled new elections.
What will happen next? As with all
politics in the Middle East, there is no way of knowing. One thing,
however, is certain: whatever happens, it will do Dostoyevsky proud.
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