What's the best and worst that could happen in Egypt?

I think the best that could be asked for is that the military take over the government until elections could be held. The people should vote for who they want to be their leader. The military would only have a temporary role until elections were held. Mubarak would resign immediately and he and his family would leave the country.

I think the worst that might happen would be if the Muslim Brotherhood took control and put Baradei in control as the temporary leader. They could find a way to "get rid" of him and they could end up in a worse situation than with Mubarak. The country would be very unstable and many people could die as a result.

Fox news and their neoconservative allies talk like the streets are filled with young future suicide bombers. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. My concern is not what happens immediately after. I worry that the person who takes power will not be able to deal quickly enough with the country's ills and is overthrown by either a theocracy or some hardline thug who learned the ropes under Mubarek.

Paranoid Israel,seeing a paranoid Islamic State on their southern border, launches a premptive attack to destroy the Egyptian military, leading to another round of full scale wars across the region.

Arms dealers from all major nations, including the United States, make massive profits.

The very worst thing, though, would be for Mubarak to hang in for a few weeks promising to step aside, the world media tires of the whole thing, the protesters go home and back to work, and Mubarak then uses the police to do a severe crack down on enemies, dissidents, etc.

Very possible. Mubarak is 83 years old and will not be in charge much longer.

it is far too cosmopolitan for that. The worst case would be a Sunni-verson of Iran, but without the alleviation of extreme poverty that came with the revolution. The best results could look something like Turkey, with the possibility of maintaining political conflict, including Islamism, with an electoral system, but with occasional intervention from the army (though sometimes to rescue the country from executives who overstepped their authority). An alliance between the poor and clerics or fundementalists would be something to worry about, as this is what brought Iran to its current state. The needs of the masses of urban poor people had better be addressed by whoever comes to power, because they, along with the Army, are likely to be the ultimate abitrers of the system.

with fundamental change to a secular government that benefits everyone in Egypt.

The worst...

Iran part deux.

Worst- Jersey Shore

I don't think the Brotherhood is that bad and I doubt that they take over. They may increase their seats but that is about all. The only reason El Baradei accepted them was because he was trying to build a constituency which he didn't have when he arrived. It seems to have worked out for him in the last week but I have also read and heard that he is seen like ex-pat Iraqis were seen by those who lived through the worst of it- he is an opportunist and a carpetbagger.

Sudan and Somalia on the one hand (no government at all, though you also have to look backwards in time to get that for Sudan), Eritrea on the other (a government rated as more oppressive than North Korea's).

and who are we to tell the Egypt people what to do? Honestly ...

The Egyptian working classes?

The wealthy minority?

:shrug:

:-)

:eyes:

Whomever can bring peace and security without a lot of violence.

leading to an (another) authoritarian leader of some flavor. The best: transparent elections leading to a democratically elected government that doesn't oppress the people.

his cronies in power before the election.

which will strengthen the Muslim Brotherhood coalition's power & popularity.

in Egypt at this point.

An interim govt should be created. People who are in the interim will be ineligible to run in next election.

When govt seizes control of a government they almost never release it.

The military is already in place and friendly to our country, not that that should be a factor...

What's the worst that could happen?