Violence has escalated in Cairo today, with Egyptian forces killing at least 35 protesters in Tahrir Square and raising concern that the military is looking to extend its power permanently, and bringing the convoluted election system into doubt.
So far, the junta is rejecting the notion of delaying the elections, but is also responding to calls to give up its position of completely unchecked power by attacking demonstrators in increasingly bloody crackdowns.
For protesters, who earlier this year withstood attacks from the Mubarak-loyal police forces, the prospect of replacing the mostly military-dominated dictatorship with an entirely military-dominated dictatorship coupled with vaguely free elections for mostly powerless civilian positions doesn’t sit well. This has raised the possibility of a “second” Egyptian Revolution.
This could be deadlier than the first, as the military mostly stayed out of Mubarak’s efforts to kill protesters, beyond occasionally detaining and torturing protest leaders. With no more chances to game revolt to increase their own power, the junta’s leadership is almost certain to resist efforts at a free, civilian-run Egyptian society.
I guess a military junta would suit the U.S.. The armament gifts that the U.S. uses to manipulate Egypt would keep the junta on side and doing as they were told!
Despot or Junta, it's all the same to the Yanks!
http://www.dangerouscreation.com
The only problem with the idea of a "second revolution" is that there was no first revolution. A lot of protesters were killed and then they surrendered to the army. When the army surrenders to the protesters, THAT is a revolution – not the other way around.
Too many in Tahrir Square played at revolution, a grave error since a lot of innocent people get killed that way, without any effect on the structure of power.
The same holds true for the OWS movement, except the latter is relatively safe since it is making no radical demands but simply liberal Dem demands. For example it has no demand to dismantle the overseas bases and drastically cut the military budget to defense proportions. Etc.
Truthster is right. You don't challenge the system until you make demands they can't meet without giving up some power. OWS isn't doing that yet. I think the Egyptians are starting to make such demands, which means a whole lot more are likely to be killed. But we'll see.
Poor Egyptians, they were punked. All they got was the same old house with a fresh coat on paint on it.
Egyptians want real democracy let's pray that they can win and organize well enough to pull it off..