Egypt on the Edge of the Abyss

Egypt continues to unravel as violence and unrest sweeps through the major cities. Whatever the military's words may be it is certain their end game is not an Islamist state envisioned by the Muslim Brotherhood. How the country gets out of this present mess is anyone's guess.

Right now American policy toward Egypt is in disarray. The president and other officials have adopted a broad approach, from scolding to threatening to withhold money. It's kind of like a frustrated adult dealing with an unruly adolescent with a scowl and threat to withhold the weekly allowance.

America's policy across the Middle East at present is rudderless. Events of the Arab Spring have shown the Obama initiatives to be ineffective at best and clueless at worse. Some are even speculating the next great question to arise could be, "who lost Egypt?' Egypt's military is operating as the prime power and chief kingmaker, a role it has held since the 1950's when they deposed King Farouk and installed Gamel Abdul Nasser as leader. Unfortunately for the people of Egypt the nation has not advanced as far as Turkey, another Muslim country that has struck a manageable co-existence between the military and Islamic interests.

The dreams that Egypt and other Arab states such as Iraq, can become "democratic", like America, are gone for the short and mid-term. We are unlikely in our lifetime to see democracy take root in the region. Egypt is a nation crying out for leadership that can give its people peace and security and a decent chance to create a life where families can form and children be raised. Where a man could earn a decent wage and live out life free from fear. What they really want is a life like so many of the rest of us already have.

James 5:4-5 cries out against injustice where it says, "Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter".

Egypt is a roiling mass of humanity on the verge of coming apart. Frankly, I wish the military success in its precarious maneuvering right now. The military is the real power and the only force in the country with any ability to restore "normalcy". Pray they do. Before more innocent blood is shed.