Who ever thought up the name ‘Arab Spring’ must have had some sort of weird premonition; one based on fantasy rather than the facts. Having said that, for a while there the world wanted to believe that the people of the vast region we call the Middle-East had a chance to realise their dreams of a better life. How sadly wrong we were in holding those aspirations for them.
Now as we watch events in Egypt unfold we hold our breaths in anticipation of a bloody civil war that could potentially be even worse than the deadly conflagration in Syria.
ON one hand in Egypt we have a ‘military-backed civilian government’ and on the other a deposed, but elected government that was looking like it had more in common with the Taliban than it had with true democratic ideals. For the people of Egypt, the choice, if they ever get one, is not good.
The military has vested interests in backing the present leadership, one brought about a coup, or folding and then possibly having far less influence and more likely a complete purge by an angry Brotherhood-led Government if it returns to power. No words from Obama or any other world leader can be taken as being helpful because they too have barrows to push in this unstable region.
I have painted a sorry picture and there are those out there who will see age-old messages about the events as they unfold. For me, it comes down to the people of the region seeking their own answers, none of which will ‘suit’ the West and increasingly, Russia and the emerging giants of India and China.
IN the meantime, we watch events unfold on the streets of Cairo and conveniently forget the on-going self-destruction of Syria. Perhaps Egypt takes the spotlight of the ‘Butcher of Damascus’ and the opposition that also has plans to cleanse Syria of those who criticise them.
If there was ever a time when the ideals of the UN could be followed, then now is the time, but one lacking in the ‘will.’
