Mohammad Morsi has officially won the first democratic election in Egypt. But the most significant event in Egypt’s history since Nasser overthrew King Farouk has been sidelined by many in the West. The principle players in the spin war are many of the neoconservatives that brought us the Iraq war. Fox News unsurprisingly has come to the forefront of the spin war to paint the Muslim Brotherhood ascent to power as the most dangerous world event. This morning they had Egypt expert Donald Trump on “Fox and Friends” railing against President Obama’s policy towards Egypt. Trump proclaimed that the administration should have supported Mubarak because he was our “friend” as well as a “friend” to Israel. Later in the day Fox had the lamentable warmonger John Bolton on the air spewing a litany of lies about the ramifications of Morsi as president. So before you get sucked into the spin war it is important to know several key facts about the reality of the situation.
The SCAF is still in totally in control the nation. Many alarmist politicians and pundits have begun proclaiming that Morsi will bring about a radical Islamist agenda to his presidency. This notion is one hundred percent wrong. Morsi has no real power. The SCAF’s June 17 constitution consolidated all power into the hands of the military. Foreign policy and control of the military are solely controlled by Tantawi and his cronies. The June 17 constitution also granted veto power to the military; ostensibly making Morsi little more than a figure head. Dissolving parliament has also ensured that the SCAF will control all aspects of governing in Egypt.
Pro-Israel fanatics have also been raising alarm bells over Morsi’s presidential win. They claim that the Brotherhood government get rid of the long standing peace deal between the two nations. This they fear will usher in a new wave of violence that will threaten “poor defenseless” Israel. There is no way that Morsi will throw out the peace deal between Egypt and Israel. He has nothing to gain from this. While many neo-cons think that the Brotherhood has some diabolical plan to destroy Israel this notion is also incredibly far fetched. Egypt faces many problems in the coming years the least of which has to do with the Jewish state. Unemployment, poverty, and a weak economy are going to be at the forefront of issues that the incoming government must tackle. Why would they decide to take on the most powerful nation in the region? Israel would easily crush any sort of military incursion by Egypt with or with out the aid of America and Europe. Those expressing these irrational and unfounded fears of a hostile Egypt fail to understand the real reasons for such hostility in the first place. It was Mubarak himself who stoked such anger towards the Israelis, not the Brotherhood. Mubarak’s close personal relationship with a nation that brutalized fellow Arabs ais what gave rise to anti-Israeli sentiment. Lastly, Morsi was very clear in his acceptance speech that he would continue all of Egypt’s
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