Let's Talk About Egypt

picture source: NPR

With all that’s been going on in the past few weeks regarding Egypt, I only felt it appropriate to begin my blog with a post discussing the state of Egypt. As many of you hopefully already know, the past few weeks have been an incredibly tumultuous time in Egypt. After 18 days of intense riots protesting the dictator-like behavior of Egyptian President Mubarak, the president finally stepped down, and the Egyptian people are currently being governed by the military on an interim basis.

But does that mean the battle has been won? Is Egypt heading down the path of democracy, or is that even something the people want? And what does this have to do with Egypt’s alliance with Israel, and the United States?

As of now, the turmoil in Egypt has all but subsided, although most of the protests have ended, and it seems Mubarak’s resignation has provided a new sense of hope for the Egyptian people. But the big question now is—what’s going to happen next? The answer is complicated.

The fact that the interim government is ruled by the military has raised some concerns. After all, isn’t that the type of government which many nations fear, ruled solely by the military? However, the Egyptian military has already gotten a jumpstart on moving forward, and has promptly disbanded Parliament, suspended the Constitution, and set up elections to take place in six months.

However, history has shown that elections does not always equal democracy (as seen through the allegedly corrupt elections of countries such as Afghanistan and Iran.) If Egypt truly becomes a democracy or republic, an entirely new Constitution and system of government needs to be instated, which will undoubtedly mean a long road is ahead. It’s hard to imagine where to start. It makes me appreciate the daunting task the Framers of the Constitution had—how hard must it be, to create an entirely new system of government from scratch?

But for now, it is unsure what direction the new government will choose to go in. As for Egypt’s relationship with the United States and Israel—that, too, is uncertain. At least for now, it appears as though the long treaty Mubarak instated with Israel will remain in effect under the interim government, and the relationship with the United States appears equally intact. But, it is uncertain about whether or not that friendly relationship will be maintained under Egypt’s new government, which is a point of concern which must be addressed in the upcoming months.

Ultimately, the people and interim government of Egypt is working towards rebuilding their country, without the suppression they found under Mubarak. Whether or not that rebuilding will involve a democracy is left to be seen.