The Revolution In Egypt Continues

By Zach Foster

Days ago Cairo was packed with jubilant crowds celebrating the resignation of long-time president Hosni Mubarak.  The dictator stepped down!  The entire world watched in awe as the Egyptians brought about a radical revolution without a shot being fired.  Marxists were giddy with the delusion that their claims of solidarity helped bring about this resignation of power to the people (the “proletariat”), and paranoid ultraconservatives continue to shake in their shoes, convinced that the Muslim Brotherhood will bring about a second Holocaust.  Many people think the revolution in Egypt has reached its climax.  All of the above are delusional.

The revolution in Egypt is far from over!  The peaceful and popular deposition of Mubarak was the easy part.  Now comes the hard part of rebuilding the government and turning it into a truly representative democratic body.  The old legislature and parts of the government were officially dissolved by the Egyptian military, and the people of Egypt must act quickly yet rationally, and they must act together. Historically, revolutions and their honeymoon phases have paved the way for reigns of terror.  Egypt is at a crossroads, and just about everyone who is aware that the revolution continues seems to be convinced that they know what is best for Egypt.  Their ego-founded opinions are semi-inspiring at best, but also worthless, because the United States cannot and will not intervene in the affairs of the rebuilding of the Egyptian government.

Egypt is at a crossroads.  One of four things will happen:

1)      The Egyptian people will take initiative, form political parties with distinct platforms, and put up candidates for election, resulting in a representative democracy.

2)      Radicalism will prevail, resulting in a dictatorship, be it under the thumb of one man, the military, a one-party state system, or a faction (where the Muslim Brotherhood fears are founded).

3)      The government will descend into anarchy, resulting in coup and counter-coup.

4)      Tensions will rise between factions, egged on by radicals and anarchists, and Egypt will be locked into a civil war.

The revolution in Egypt has inspired mass protests in countries all over the middle east where the deprivation of freedom has grown old to the masses.  The American Revolution will forever be known as the Shot Heard Round the World.  How inspiring it would be if the world transitioned into a less violent age where the situation in Egypt went down in history as the Shout Heard Round the World!

What happens now is up to the good-natured, level-headed people of Egypt.  Only time will tell.