Blog: Editorial Explanations

Go to: Editorial Explanations by Andrew Wheeler

"The USA will steal credit for absolutely everything if you let them."

"It's really quite simple to topple a corrupt regime, as long as you already have the military on your side."

"If you're taking this as a Nixon reference, you're getting really confused, and suspecting that you're now officially way too old. But if you're taking this as a Churchill reference, you're both correct and definitely way too old. (Though Keefe, himself, is too young to remember WWII.)"

"This time, we're in favor of a military junta taking over an important country because...um, they've promised really politely to hold free elections?"

As someone who was around during the original People Power Revolution, I can relate to the euphoria experienced yesterday in Egypt, and to the whole military on your side... or the USA will steal credit for absolutely everything... which Wheeler jokes about.

To be clear, Egypt won't be truly under "new management" until general elections are held. And even then, there's still the possibility of some of the old elements being reelected into office in another political guise. That an institution which was an instrument of the last regime is now in charge, can't be ignored despite the present goodwill felt towards it (But for anyone who wants democracy to flourish in the region, better it be a genuine homegrown phenomena than violently imposed from the outside).