Mr Pipes is hopefully wrong

Submitted by Devils advocate (Australia), Feb 4, 2011 at 18:23

What Mr Pipes seems to be saying is that Egyptians (indeed Arabs) are "not ready" for "democracy".

Has Mr Pipes ever been to Indonesia? There a military backed strongman who ruled the country for 30 years resigned...etc...high food prices, collapsing currency, debt etc. Would anyone argue that Indonesia is not a demoracy now? How long did the process take? Everyone understands the concept of democracy...indeed Indonesia may be more democratic than Singapore or Russia. Egyptians (it apears) want democracy, which is in itself a relative concept. While Mr Pipes can describe the indicia of democracy- by these same indicia neither Singapore nor Russia are democratic. Let Egyptians create their own democracy and tinker with it around the edges- the result may not be what Mr Pipes wants-and indeed there is a risk of another Iran or Hamas- but in real democracies one allows the people to choose not thinktanks who decide what is good for them. Let's not forget Henry Kissinger on Chile- "The issues are much too important for Chilean voters to decide"....there is no point giving Egyptians the right to choose then sulking because they made the wrong choice. Iran itself may actually be a lesson for the Egyptians...and as the African National Congress (ANC) did show...far from being a comunist bogeyman, a leopard can change its spots.

Ultimately as in Chile, the issue is whether Egyptians should be allowed to choose or "managed" by thinktanks and the military who "know what is good for them".

Mr Pipes- please give the Egyptians some credit.

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