On the election of Muslim Brotherhood leader as President of Egypt

[jesuschrist]

Roughly one year ago, Harvard Professor of History Niall Ferguson predicts what will happen with the Arab Spring, Obama's policy on Egypt, and the coming of an pan-Islamic Caliphate:

The video was posted on Feb 14/2011.

He was right on target.

 

[Tugela]

Considering that the Mulsim Brotherhood has been the main opposition to the military government for a long time, and that a large part of the population lives in very conservative areas outside of the cities, it is hardly surprising. What would be surprising would be if they didnt win. That the secular candidates did as well as they did is what is surprising. Obama had nothing to do with it.

 

[jesuschrist]

Obama had nothing to do with it.

I don't know in what sense you mean when you say this, but I wonder if you mean what Ferguson said in the video - that is the big surprise, not that a Muslim Brotherhood candidate got elected. Ferguson says what you already have, and that was everyone could see it coming; but that wasn't the conclusion.

 

[HankQuinlan]

Egypt will just have to go through its birth pangs, successfully or unsuccessfully. After supporting the dictatorship/military for all of these decades, the US simply does not have the credibility with the Egyptian people to have influenced any election outcome according to their preferences. Egypt may well eventually follow the model of something like Turkey, with a relatively secular government. The new president has said the right things so far, but whether he has the will or power to succeed is anybody's guess.

And Israel will just have to adapt. It has no choice.