Reality Check: A Military Coup is Not a Revolution
The protests in Egypt have been exciting, inspiring and even potentially revolutionary, (emphasis on potentially). It is stirring to see so many people protesting throughout a region plagued by brutal dictatorships that have until recently terrorized their citizens into submission. However, the protesters in Egypt had only a couple of simple demands: They wanted Mubarak to step down, which they got, and they asked for more freedom, which they have not got. These do not make up a revolutionary platform.
Now that Mubarak has left and the military is in control, the media are calling it a momentous occasion. They’ve claimed that the Egyptian people have changed the world. Yet how is a military coup momentous? And how has the world changed? Another military coup, ho hum, what’s new?
What if the military does allow free elections in which Egyptians get to vote