Come back Hosni, all is forgiven?

[TAL777]

I saw a news clip a few weeks ago in which ordinary Egyptians said that they would wish Hosni Mubarak could return to power, at least they had stability and safety then they said, even if it was less than democratic.

The popularity of El-Sisi (a sort of Gaddafi-lookalike) suggests that many Egyptians would welcome the return of a benign secular dictatorship as under Mubarak. Perhaps it is the only way for Egypt?

Alternatively, the one thing that is missing in all this is a central hero that everyone can rally around, a Mandela or a Gandhi is desperately needed right now in Egypt.

[Dusak]

Mandela and Gandhi were a prime example of what could be done when the masses trusted and supported them. To find such a one in this country is a fools errand I think. To much hatred, spite and one up manship is too evident. No matter who they bring forth, at least 40% disagree. Whenever one person is killed, a hundred want revenge, even if the perpetrator is only being guest at. The pro Morsi gang know that he will never in their lifetime be reinstated, but they continue to throw themselves onto the fires of destruction. The anti Morsi gang know that they have won their war, Morsi is now a forgotten name in Egypt's politics, they could walk away, leaving the mopping up to the Armed Forces, but choose to stay and continue to fight as it is always about revenge and point scoring. They seem unable to read the writing on the wall which says go home, we now have the peoples consent to protect you. This, if happened, would probably put an end to it all within a couple of weeks. But no, they carry on the fight because they need to. I think many more hundreds will die and many thousands will be injured within the coming weeks. A civil war for Lower Egypt is a distinct possibility in the near future with the man on the street a no hope in hell of winning.

[Bullet Magnet]

Religious Nutters, they just aren't rational...

[LovelyLadyLux]

I think Hosni was like a comfortable chair in that you know you have it, it isn't bad to sit in but as it is the only one in the house it does start to cramp you after a while and you have no other options available to you. Ok - not a great 'story' but my point is 'memory makes the heart grow fonder' and now that Hosni is gone and time has passed he is being remembered with more fondness than when he was present every day.

Life & politics & the people in Egypt definitely seem to have their galabeyas in a knot these days and it does seem that nobody is willing to concede, go home, smell the coffee or roses (whichever titillates your fancy), get back to daily life whatever that may be for you and allow one side be it pro or con Morsi prevail.

I now sometimes mull if the Egyptian people really DID want democracy? Did they want the same type life we have with all its glory and warts or did they really want something else? Did the average man on the street have sufficient time to really KNOW what he wanted his future life to look like? Not sure how the something else could be defined for them but by and large it does seem them were duped into voting democratically for somebody who really did not embody democracy.

Do the people of Luxor want the same as the people of Cairo and do they all really know what exactly they do want? We've all had democracy for a long time and sometimes I highly doubt even WE know what is going on - difference is - once our elections are done we do, by and large, accept the verdict or the electoral count. Not sure Egyptians are prepared to do this.

I just hope the average everyday Egyptian person - Joe Average can accept in their life that there are some pro-Morsi/pro MB and there are some who are not. I really hope both sides are able to mediate an agreed outcome so that they do not continue to war with each other. Conflict is only going to continue to create deeper and deeper scars and when neither side can staunch the bleed then - yeah - civil war could happen. Sure hope not.

[TAL777]

The problem is that the MB were able to mobilise a large part of the population, in what is still a devoutly religious country. Although now many have realised that they were corrupt and incompetent. Moreover, there is always a problem with mixing religion with democracy, they don't mix, because God's word is final and cannot be contested nor debated, hence there is no democracy. Hence governments can use religion as a mandate to be dictatorial and it looked as though the Brotherhood were going that way.

Historically the removal of a long-standing dictator causes chaos in the subsequent political vacuum and this is what is happening in Egypt.

[LivinginLuxor]

True, revolutions take time - both the American and French revolutions took several years before they became stable. As for having democracy for a long time, in Britain you have had democracy for less than 100 years - in the sense of one person one vote, if you're over the age of majority.

[Dusak]

All the people of Egypt were familiar with the MB's political remit. You reap what you sow in this life. The Egyptian people are a very easily lead people, all it takes is the next man that remained in school for the full term talking into the ears of those that did not attend. Everyone knew and detested what Mubarak stood for, but not many placed his wife into the equation, she was the ruling body in his oversized trousers. They feared the son gaining power, and just imagine what it would be like today with him on the seat of power. What will it take to quash this dissent? The Army turning their guns onto the crowds hoping that a real show of mass slaughter will finally teach then the futility of their protests and not listening to orders. I doubt it. When the elections took place all my Egyptian friends were celebrating the fact that Morsi had got in, give him a chance they were all saying, which is the correct attitude. But all failed to see the bigger picture, non sat down and viewed what could happen to the country by putting such as he in a position of power, and a puppet in the hands of his bosses to boot. All they were interested in was the new found wealth that was promised, an end to corruption, no more shortages. But non considered the fact that the country was already near bankrupt, but in their minds this was an insignificant point, as Allah would provide, make things good for all. Yet the slaughter continues, shortages escalate, and the Nile river turns red. But onwards they march, like lemmings towards the cliffs edge.