I got an e-mail from a reader who tells me that he believes that the merits of democracy and capitalism will win out in Egypt. I certainly hope so, but I am just not sure that the future here is rosy. Egypt has never been a real democracy. Elections have been held, but the winner was always preordained. The same is true of the economic system; the people in Egypt do not have any experience with a truly free economy. The initial dislocation that would come from such a change would be enormous and, in an era of mob rule, hard to sustain without forcing a change of course.
Egypt has been the most important coutry in the Arab world certainly for the last century. If the terrorists decide to make a move there, it will have bad consequences for the entire world. Let's hope that whatever the resolution in Cairo, it does not lead to an opening for terror.
No comments:
Post a Comment