Posted by MarkB_MI on August 17, 2013 at 04:12:08 from (75.219.62.74):
In Reply to: Who's the bad guys? posted by 37Chief on August 16, 2013 at 20:15:19:
I lived and worked in Egypt for half a year back in the early nineties, so I have a little insight on this. Anyone who has spent much time in the country will tell you that the current situation was pretty much inevitable. Even twenty years ago, I had a good idea that things would eventually come to a head.
First off, Egypt has been under military control of some sort most of its existence. Going back a few hundred years, you had the Mameluks, then the Ottomans, interrupted briefly by Napoleon. After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, Egypt was occupied by the Brits, who supported the Egyptian monarchy until King Farouk was overthrown in a military coup in 1952. Until the recent election of Morsi, every president (Nasser, Sadat and Mubarak) was an officer who had participated in the 1952 coup. When I was there, the influence of the military was everywhere. All major companies in the country were run by retired generals. No foreign company could do business in the country without help from a general. Mubarak was president, but the generals ran the country.
After the military, muslim fundamentalists were a major factor in the country. The government/military tried to suppress the Muslim Brotherhood, who assassinated, among others, President Anwar Sadat. But the government also exploited unrest among the fundamentalists to detract from its own problems. Israel and the west were a convenient scapegoat for Egypt's problems.
The third factor leading up the revolution was population growth. The population, now at 80 million, has been doubling about every thirty years. Most of population growth has not been among the educated middle class, but rather among the poor, who move to Cairo where they subsist in slums. For example, there are a million people living in an ancient Cairo cemetery known as the City of the Dead. These slums are a breeding ground for fundamentalists. During my stay, about once a month there would be an assassination by fundamentalists on some government official. The government response would be to go into the slums and arrest a dozen fundamentalists, who would be tried in military court and executed a few days later. This of course just created more radicals eager to avenge the deaths of their relatives.
Added to mix is the sizable Christian minority in Egypt, who are likely to suffer if the country is controlled by muslim fundamentalists.
Population growth made the clash between fundamentalists and military inevitable. You ask "who are the bad guys?" I'm afraid it's not that simple. The only muslim country to have a more-or-less stable democracy has been Turkey, but only because the military has stepped in every time fundamentalists started to take over. I think the Egyptian military sees itself in the same role, wanting to preserve the emerging democracy and to protect the Christian minority. But its brutal behavior cannot be excused. The fundamentalists can't be excused, either; as I see it they have been goading the military, knowing that its response will gain sympathy for their cause. And there is little doubt that if the Muslim Brotherhood takes control of Egypt, it will turn it into an islamic state.
The losers in this are the Egyptian people, who are friendly, hospitable and fun-loving. I think most supported the overthrow of Mubarak, but do not want to see an islamic state in Egypt.
We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today. [ About Us ]
Today's Featured Article - Product Review - by Staff. When we finally checked out the 3000 PSI North Star, the whole story chaned. This unit was equipped with an 11 HP Honda engine with fuel shutoff, adjustable flow and optional syphon degreaser dispenser. It didn't have a pressure release or electric start to facilitate easy starting but according to the instructions, simply pulling on the trigger while cranking was sufficient. This method of starting proved more than adequate and kept the cost down on the unit. It had all the important
... [Read Article]
Latest Ad:
1964 I-H 140 tractor with cultivators and sidedresser. Starts and runs good. Asking 2650. CALL RON AT 502-319-1952
[More Ads]
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy
TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.
