When Egyptians are right and wrong

Will revolution, uprising and a coup lead to chaos, repression or reconciliation?

By Marwan Bishara
Al-Jazeera

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A new realism

The optimism about a transition to democracy has proved to be wishful thinking as Egyptians take the longer route towards achieving a common vision of the new Egypt - their second republic.

History might be on the side of those who oppose dictatorship and deposed a dictator in favour of “bread, freedom and social justice”.  But while time is of the essence, the future is not tied to an egg timer.
I wrote in The Invisible Arab, that this revolution isn’t a sprint affair. It’s more like a marathon, or indeed, a relay.

“Every surge of democratisation over the last century,” wrote historian Sheri Berman in Foreign Affairs, “ […] has been followed by an undertow, accompanied by widespread questioning of the viability and even desirability of democratic governance in the areas in question.”

The lesson from two centuries of transformation since the French revolution is that dictatorships can be imposed and deposed in far shorter time than it takes to arrive at a constitutional democracy.
One can only hope that instead of repeating the mistakes of their predecessors who took too long to effect positive change, Egyptians learn from the lessons of history."