Foreign Affairs

Eugene

(61,899 posts) Fri May 25, 2012, 02:47 PM May 2012

Egyptian election results a 'nightmare scenario'

Source: The Guardian

Egyptian election results a 'nightmare scenario'

Fears of weeks of tension as results point to a run-off between
the Muslim Brotherhood candidate and a former general

Ian Black in Cairo
guardian.co.uk, Friday 25 May 2012 19.07 BST

Egypt looks set for weeks of tension and uncertainty after the first round of its landmark presidential election produced a runoff between the candidate backed by the powerful Muslim Brotherhood and a former general who is seen as a hangover from the regime of the deposed Hosni Mubarak.

In what many described as a "nightmare scenario" that will mean a polarised and possibly violent second round, Mohammed Morsi of the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party polled around 26% in the two-day first round. Ahmed Shafiq, Mubarak's last prime minister, came second with 23% when 90% of the votes had been counted.

Amr Moussa, the former head of the Arab League, who tried to capture the centre ground, was knocked out. Late on Friday there was only a slight chance that the final picture would change when votes for Cairo and Giza were in.

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Egyptian election results a 'nightmare scenario' (Original Post) Eugene May 2012 OP

For those who have been cheering regime change, better watch what you wish for. leveymg May 2012 #1

Egyptians will continue to protest until they get want they want. tabatha May 2012 #2

I'm not surprised to hear you prefer Ian Smith and think Oliver Cromwell was a great humanitarian. leveymg May 2012 #3

I said "deplorable Ian Smith". tabatha May 2012 #4

leveymg

(36,418 posts)

1. For those who have been cheering regime change, better watch what you wish for.

Reply to Eugene (Original post)

Fri May 25, 2012, 02:58 PM

May 2012

You may have bitten off more than you can chew.

tabatha

(18,795 posts)

2. Egyptians will continue to protest until they get want they want.

Reply to leveymg (Reply #1)

Fri May 25, 2012, 03:53 PM

May 2012

I think it is obscene that people (unlike us) who live in deplorable conditions are not allowed to revolt because the future many not be perfect - per the judgment of people like us. How arrogant. People in the US protest; people in Egypt protest - and they are all completely justified in doing so.

The revolution in Zimbabwe was a disaster - where the deplorable Ian Smith was better than Mugabe. However, when Mugabe is gone, there is a chance for improvement.

The revolution in South Africa was a better success - in that people are far freer now than they were before, despite the fact that there are still huge problems - brought on by both whites and blacks.

The conditions in old England were deplorable, but they were allowed to improve without "holier-than-thou" types deciding whether those improvements were "valid" or not. They led the pack in humanitarian improvement and hence there was no one to tell them "be careful what you wish for". Lucky them.

leveymg

(36,418 posts)

3. I'm not surprised to hear you prefer Ian Smith and think Oliver Cromwell was a great humanitarian.

Reply to tabatha (Reply #2)

Fri May 25, 2012, 04:43 PM

May 2012

Tell that to the Black Zimbabweans and the Irish . . .

Not against revolt (usually), just externally-imposed regime change. History decides successful revolutions; neither imperialists nor holier-than-thous have the final word on that.

tabatha

(18,795 posts)

4. I said "deplorable Ian Smith".

Reply to leveymg (Reply #3)

Fri May 25, 2012, 09:24 PM

May 2012

Can you read:

"deplorable Ian Smith".

Mugabe is a murderer, and a disgusting human being.

Even Zimbabweans think so.

Btw, despite the awfulness of Ian Smith, the native population was treated better in Rhodesia than they were in South Africa. They were, for instance, allowed to attend university.

But I am sure you know all about that.

It was a typically inflammatory comment, but surprisingly Smith was indeed experiencing a renewed popularity among blacks. I say renewed because he was never universally vilified by blacks as popular mythology suggests, and since much of what he had warned would come to pass as a consequence of Independence had come to pass, his voice was heard generally with a little more respect than hitherto. Many older blacks reflected that things had been better under Smith. I happened to be in the arrivals hall at Harare International Airport one evening when Smith arrived on the BA flight from London. As he appeared with his luggage trolley, unaccompanied and unannounced, he was greeted by a number of blacks with due respect and nothing resembling hostility at all.

"Many older blacks reflected that things had been better under Smith". They said so, not me.

Interesting to see how you twist this.

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