# What future would the Egyptian people choose if they could? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 7, 2011, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-future-would-the-egyptian-people-choose-if-they-could/570548 "2011-02-07T18:07:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![newcomer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e5b9ba/32.png) [@newcomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcomer)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-future-would-the-egyptian-people-choose-if-they-could/570548/21 "2011-02-09T02:35:24Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Yes, and the buzzing of the bees in the peppermint trees by the soda-water fountain. But what about specifics? How do Egyptians think they can get there? Islamism? Free-market capitalism? Socialism? Social democracy? Decentralization (at present all provincial governors are appointed by the president)? It’s funny how people in US only know about MB. How about [El-Ghad Party - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomorrow_Party) ? ---
**Author:** ![newcomer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e5b9ba/32.png) [@newcomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcomer)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-future-would-the-egyptian-people-choose-if-they-could/570548/22 "2011-02-09T02:37:18Z")
> [@Nobody](#): > > And the fact that Obama administration thinks that Suleiman will [help lead an orderly transmission to democracy](http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2014143196_egypt06.html) is a joke. As I said, he is not a President - he’s just filling up the role. Proof - Bush would do the same! ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-future-would-the-egyptian-people-choose-if-they-could/570548/23 "2011-02-09T03:19:15Z")
> [@newcomer](#): > > As I said, he is not a President - he’s just filling up the role. Proof - Bush would do the same! I know that Suleiman is Egypt’s Vice President, but since you said Bush would do the same, I’m guessing you mean that Obama isn’t President, but just filling the role? What does that even mean? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-future-would-the-egyptian-people-choose-if-they-could/570548/24 "2011-02-09T03:42:20Z")
> [@newcomer](#): > > It’s funny how people in US only know about MB. How about [El-Ghad Party - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomorrow_Party) ? [flashing on Velvet Underground] Hm. [There are 24 “known” political parties in Egypt,](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_political_parties_in_Egypt#The_known_parties_of_Egypt) not counting the MB. No stats on their respective measures of public support, which probably has been impossible to obtain up to now. When the USSR broke up, there were dozens of minor parties in Parliament for a while, none significant, until a few parties grew bigger, and then United Russia emerged and took over, and now Russia is like Mexico in the decades when the PRI was unchallengeable. I hope that (among other things) doesn’t happen to Egypt. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-future-would-the-egyptian-people-choose-if-they-could/570548/25 "2011-02-09T11:31:01Z")
It’s looking like the future the protestors _want_ may be the Sandmonkey Party, led by Google. There are worse things. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-future-would-the-egyptian-people-choose-if-they-could/570548/26 "2011-02-09T18:09:26Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > An Islamist, populist dictatorship . Probably anti-Israel, possibly anti-American. What makes you think the Egyptian people want that? Serious question. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-future-would-the-egyptian-people-choose-if-they-could/570548/27 "2011-02-10T01:15:28Z")
> [@tagos](#): > > Yea. That’s precisely why they’re calling for an end to dictatorship and free and fair democratic elections.:rolleyes: Not necessarily. They may simply want a dictatorship that does agree with the views of most Egyptians or the dictatorship will gain the support of the populace by instiuting some popular policies. > [@](#): > > And if they want to elect an anti-Israel or US government that’s their affair and theirs alone. Of course we can’t invade them. But we do have considerable influence and we can do something in case such a thing actually happens. In addition if Egypt becomes anti-Israeli and anti-American there may very will be renewal of the Israeli-Arab wars. > [@BrainGlutton](#): > > What makes you think the Egyptian people want that? Serious question. Much of Egyptian people’s anger has been due pro-American and pro-Israel in Mubarak’s foreign policy. Also I will make a correction. Egypt may not be a full dictatorship but rather a one party/authoritarian democracy not dissimilar from Iran (minus the mullahs and ayatollahs), Russia, or Venezuela. ---
**Author:** ![tagos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tagos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tagos)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-future-would-the-egyptian-people-choose-if-they-could/570548/28 "2011-02-10T12:05:09Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > Not necessarily. They may simply want a dictatorship that does agree with the views of most Egyptians or the dictatorship will gain the support of the populace by instiuting some popular policies. > > Of course we can’t invade them. But we do have considerable influence and we can do something in case such a thing actually happens. In addition if Egypt becomes anti-Israeli and anti-American there may very will be renewal of the Israeli-Arab wars. > > Much of Egyptian people’s anger has been due pro-American and pro-Israel in Mubarak’s foreign policy. > > Also I will make a correction. Egypt may not be a full dictatorship but rather a one party/authoritarian democracy not dissimilar from Iran (minus the mullahs and ayatollahs), Russia, or Venezuela. You apparently know nothing whatsoever about what is going on and fill in by long distance mind-reading. I suggest until such time as you are informed on a subject you confine your content free posts to IMHO. If a democratic Egypt decides Israel hasn’t delivered on its side of the bargain then its their democratic right to withdraw from the treaty. This isn’t about what’s good for Israel anyway. And while you’re at it you can provide some respectable cites for the mass anger of a spontaneous popular uprising being due to pro-Israel policies as opposed to 30 years or torture and poverty. People want to be free and have seized an opportune moment in history to rise up against a kleptocratic dictatorship. People want to be free. What’s so hard to understand about that? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-future-would-the-egyptian-people-choose-if-they-could/570548/29 "2011-02-10T17:49:21Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > Much of Egyptian people’s anger has been due pro-American and pro-Israel in Mubarak’s foreign policy. I haven’t heard anyone in the streets chanting anti-Israeli or anti-American slogans. Maybe there were some, but they were marginal and drowned out by the demands for an end to tyranny. Word is spreading that Mubarak will step down and hand power to the military. Watching CNN – the mob in the square was chanting, “Civil, not military!” This ain’t gonna go smooth. > [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > Also I will make a correction. Egypt may not be a full dictatorship but rather a one party/authoritarian democracy not dissimilar from Iran (minus the mullahs and ayatollahs), Russia, or Venezuela. All of those examples are significantly more democratic than Egypt has been. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-future-would-the-egyptian-people-choose-if-they-could/570548.md?page=1)