Lessons of the Egyptian revolution

Have the military learned what Morsi failed to learn?

By Brian Whitaker

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At the same time, though, I’m not sure that it’s wise to dump Morsi – at least, not yet. If he’s forced out of office now, the Brotherhood will claim to have been robbed by anti-democratic forces – and that will create more problems for the future. But there’s still no sign, even after the Sunday protests, that he’s ready to make the necessary compromises – and for that reason he may have to go. 

The great unknown quantity in all this is of course the Egyptian military. Are the generals merely trying – as their statements suggest – to nudge the politicians towards a solution, or is the country on the brink of an old-style coup?

Many Egyptians are fearful, and with good reason. But – and it’s a very important “but” – the revolution has changed the game for the military as much as it has for the Brotherhood. If the military fail to recognise that, they can expect to pay the price eventually, just as Morsi is doing now."