Naeem's Blog

Now that Mubarak has decided to buy a Winnebago and cruise the streets of Sharm el-Sheikh, Egyptians can look forward to a democratic future. And if they wish to look deeper into the crystal ball and see where they’re heading, they needn’t look any further than Turkey and Pakistan.

Both of these heavily-populated pillars of the Muslim world have made bumpy transitions to a democratic system. However, these democracies survive not on any constitutionally-based principle, but on the mercy of the paternalistic, over-bearing military.

The Egyptian masses may eventually ‘wield the power’ to determine which crooked politician is the lesser of two evils, but Gold help them if they attempt to voice their frustrations on economic inequalities or a more just foreign policy. This is the dominion of the powerful elites and normal people are not allowed to meddle therein.

In the same manner that I give my son the freedom to choose his meal from a restaurant’s menu, stepping in when I feel that he’s getting out of control and too dessert-happy, the military has generously afforded the citizenry of these three Muslim nations the freedoms to choose from a political menu of controlled choices, ready to pounce in when the masses get too free with their freedoms.

After all folks, self-determination for the uncivilized has its limitations.

Egyptians can look forward to periods of civilian rule interrupted by military intervention whenever America the military elite feel the nation is headed in a direction antithetical to their private interests.

And that, my friends, is the future of Egypt: controlled democracy.

Undoubtedly it’s better than oppressive autocratic rule.

But why must our ceiling remain so low?

Amidst all the euphoria and jubilation running through the throngs of protesters as they sense the realization of their primary objective (the ousting of Mubarak), I find myself weary of the epilogue.

I remember back in 2007 and 2008, when another embattled ex-military general president, Pervez Musharraf, was similarly fighting for his political life. The movement calling for his removal had also gained considerable momentum and the public was looking forward to 'change'.

Major protests, led by Pakistani lawyers, against Musharraf's dismissal of the nation's top judges as well as a dubious alliance between Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto calling for his impeachment combined for a very uncomfortable situation for the man infamously referred to by W. Bush as 'the General'.

Finally, when the dust settled and Musharraf was sent scurrying to London on a 'self-imposed' exile, the Pakistani peoples finally had their day. So how did they celebrate their chance to decide their political future? They put their minds together and elected their knight in shining armor:

A sleazy used-car salesman, better known to the world as Asif Zardari.

(excuse me while I pick up my keyboard that I just threw against the wall)

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OK, I'm back.

So, my advice to the people of Egypt is to temper your emotions and focus not on who you were able to depose, but on who will replace him.

*That* is the real challenge.

And if history is any indicator, it doesn't bode well for my Misri brothers and sisters.

True revolutions aren't made by mass protests and Tweeting and checking out Facebook. They are made by changing the hearts and minds of the masses. Once this foundation is present, then the protests and and social movements and political machinations can lead to a successful change.

Until then, we're all suckers waiting to get ripped off by sleazy used-car salesmen.