The New York Times’ Sunday, February 20th Week in Review section includes an article (see link above and below) titled “When Armies Decide” which comments on the perils of transitional and especially military governments such as the one in Egypt now after the departure of Mubarak. Read the article and, after familiarizing with the names mentioned in the article, post your views on the blog. Be ready to intelligently discuss the article and your views in class for five points extra credit.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/20/weekinreview/20military.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=when%20armies%20decide&st=cse
Sunday, February 20, 2011
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The article "When Armies Decide" is highlighting two different directions that Egypt can turn after Mubarak. The first direction is two to follow in the path of South Korea. In April, 1987 South Korea people began protesting Chun Woo Hwans rule. The people, much like the people of Egypt were tired of the being persecuted, mistreated and the authoritarian rule. So like the people of Egypt the South Koreans made a protest and Chun was able to step down. It was a gradual move for democratisation for South Korea and now Korea is one of the most prosperous nations in the Asia. Egypt might be able to follow in South Koreas footsteps or maybe they might go on the path of Indonesia, overthrew General Suharto in 1998. It took the government about a week or so to organize an election. The entire tactic was to promote Anti-Isral and Anti-American messages to get the votes of the people of Indonesia. While the leaders of Indonesia was saying everything that the people wanted to hear, behind close doors they were making back door deals and corruption over came this nation. Now Indonesia has a struggling economy along with democratic leadership. With these two views that the article outline there is no real way to tell which direction Egypt will take. The government controls what they want the people to see and know. So if the government is not truthful and have good intentions then Egypt might decline in economic standings, humanitarian and will deminish. So to ask if governments can be trusted, I would say that they can not be trusted and that is why we need to limit their power on what they need to do for the interest of the people. If we limit the governments long arm there just might be a nation that everyone can live in. But who knows, its a game of Russian Roulette. By Sally Liberiste-Costa
ReplyDeleteRachel Gonzalez, SYG2000 MWF 9:00 AM
ReplyDeleteThe fact that the Egyptian military has stepped up among the chaos and assumed a role of power beyond that which is usually attributed to them is in essence a violation of their natural powers, established by the state. It also violates the trust of the individuals that are subjugated to their rule, as they are assuming a position to make orders and execute them which is not at their discretion to take up. They are blindly running the country from strategically points of view, keeping the US Armed Forces in contact, without discussing with the people what should be done. If the United States supports democracies and human rights in the entire world, they should be opposed to this quasi-hostile takeover. It makes little sense to allow the military to run the country, even for a short period of time, especially in such a chaotic period, because it runs the risk of a dictatorship run by the armed forces, as has been seen in the previous century all over Latin America and South America. Even though some countries have benefited from the military period of governing, the majority proves to have failed. This poses other issues, such as the Islamic Brotherhood taking power for themselves and instilling their ideas and their agenda in the country. This can very well happen if we consider the current occurrences in Egypt from a conflict theorist’s point of view. The extraction of Mubarak has caused a power vacuum, which the military has eagerly filled. The people will soon be displeased with their rulings, and therefore will want to rebel against them as well, being led by the Islamic Brotherhood. Although this is a possibility, these scenarios are more likely speculative slippery slopes than anything else.
In the article, When Armies Decide they stated that Egypt has to take steps in order to become a successful democracy. However, there are questions on how and who has the authority to bring the country to that change. As of now the power is in the hands of the military. But, the military is asking, what’s in it for us, long and short term? In my opinion, that will only lead to more corruption and instability. For the reason that when an individual thinks only about themselves. He/she can’t think of one’s country. Also, I don’t understand why that is now the citizens of Egypt felt like there is a need for a change. Is it because Mubarak is 82 years old and is now dying. I feel like it is left up the citizens to decide and what they want next. They are the one(s) that sought for a change came to the streets in protest, and they should be the ones to make that change happen. Not the military they were the ones that opened fire on them. No one country is the same and Egypt might not follow the footsteps as South Korea, Indonesia, the Philippines and Chile has. The country can take routes for failure or success, one towards democracy or one with a militarily dictatorship, like Pakistan once did. No one person can tell at this point. I believe we shall just sit and watch and America should just bud out.
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