An obvious Double-Bind here?

Submitted by Ron Thompson (United States), Jul 31, 2013 at 15:52

It seems difficult recommending that the Egyptian military strip itself of its assets, or that the United States urge it to do so, when it is the only credible or organized opponent of the return of the Muslim Brotherhood to power.

Surely preventing that return is the primary goal here, especially as such an unexpectedly large percentage of the population has had the courage to express itself on the issue.

It is painful to hear so many repeat the mindless mantra of the overthrow of Egypt's "first democratically elected president" (never mind that Morsi got something like 60% of the 11% of eligible voters who actually did vote). Imagine if, in August of 1934, after the burst of internecine Nazi violence, the German Army had overthrown Hitler, and people were bemoaning the overthrow of a "democratically elected government". (And no doubt, without the evidence of the next 11 years, they would have done so)

Of course, as Dr Pipes says, the sprawling and parasitical military complex is a huge roadblock to economic rationalization and growth, but between allowing its stranglehold to continue, and doing anything that opens the path for a return of the MB – which organization would be even more inconsistent with economic growth – the choice seems easy.

At most, any sophisticated offensive weaponry should be replaced by some economically useful aid, even if it has to go through the military.

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