The Ikhwan were in a terrible position because, being the largest cohesive post-Mubarak political party, they were destined to take over a crumbling state in transition. It didn't help that there were deep state elements working for their failure as well. Moving the country forward though requires building institutions and the rule of law. If the opposition voted him out instead of backing a coup Egypt would be on a totally different path because THE SYSTEM would have legitimacy. If you don't have respect of THE SYSTEM there can never be a peaceful transfer of power. Mubarak dealt with this by just assuring there is no transfer of power. Now, there is no system, there is just the streets and that doesn't help anyone. It is not peaceful AND there is no transfer of power. Egypt has problems. It had problems. It will continue to have problems for some time. There are structural issues at play here that no revolution or no man is going to reverse in a short period of time. Plus, Morsi and the MB didn't move towards building consensus on a constitution. The situation is horrible all around.
If people are going rush to the meydan every time they are dissatisfied and undergo Ir7al-Ir7al syndrome then the country might as well completely abandon the idea of government and just live in the street.
Regionally, Whenever major events happen you need to step back and see who benefits.
Strange circumstances have arrayed the Saudis, UAE, and Israel (supporting the Generals with the former two pledging billions in support) against Qatar and Turkey (supported Morsi). For the first time in decades the US is more of a bystander and is confused about the course to take.
The brotherhood have had a questionable beginning. Too many of their founding fathers were friendly with British intelligence, and this relationship continued into the 1950s and 1970s.
The ideology of the brotherhood does not conflict with the West's main interests and they have proven to be easily manipulated, so Western countries did not see the brotherhood as a threat because they can work with them.
Ideally they would have evolved into a slightly more Muslim appearing (outward form) than Turkeys AK party.
The problem is that it presents an example and a model to the downtrodden masses in the Arab world, especially Saudi's growing population of young educated and aware people, and other gulf countries. Saudi Arabia fears the Brotherhood and has cracked down on those that have aligned themselves with them.
Qatar is more of a small clan fiefdom than a state. It does not fear the Muslim Brotherhood or other political ideas such as democracy because they are too small. Why do you need elections and parties when any Qatari can go straight to the Emir and give him a piece of his mind?
Turkey's AK party seeking others of the same fold naturally supports the Muslim Brotherhood. Erdogan has been very outspoken in recent days and since the coup.
The elephant in the room is Israel. What does Israel gain from all this instability? I believe it gains breathing room from the occupation problem. Israeli politics has driven down this one way road and it has come to a fork in the road, they cannot turn back but need to choose.
There are now only 2 options left for Israel and both are horrible.
The 2 state solution is dead because the settlements have reached a critical mass, they have made any form of independent Palestinian state impossible.
The PLO and Fatah have realized that their dream is over and Mahmoud Abbas has raised the possibility of disbanding the Palestinian Authority.
The choice now is between a 1 state solution or ethnic cleansing.
Even Israel's media manipulation skills and the lingering power of emotional blackmail from the holocaust is not enough to prevent pariah status like Apartheid South Africa,
Destabilized countries of Egypt, Syria , Jordan and Iraq especially with frothing at the mouth "Islamists" and civil wars allow the Israelis to implement ethnic cleansing in the midst of this massive fog and present the world with a fiat acompli, another Nakba.
" What can we do about it".
anyone see this video of unarmed protesters recently being murked...
that's exactly what I was thinking 