The Revolution Betrayed

There has, at least until now, been no "Thermidorian Reaction"; the masses on the streets in Cairo have never had the power and, again until now, there has been no Robespierre. As Mubarak exits the scene power there appears to be no revolutionary leadership. For the time being we do not have a radical regime being replaced by a more conservative regime. For the time being the people in power in Egypt now are the military.

Nevertheless, there is enough evidence to suggest that the political pendulum has swung back towards something resembling if not a pre-revolutionary state, the state before the people rose up. The military is in power in Egypt and El Baradei, who is increasingly revealing himself to be "our" man in Egypt, emphasizes that the Egyptians will need a year for the transition to democracy. There was no "Thermidorian Reaction", however, there is already evidence to suggest that the revolution has been betrayed and, indeed, it just might be that they will be sleeping more soundly in their beds in Washington and Jerusalem tonight. Nevertheless, there is also reason to believe that their calm is misplaced.

No "Thermidorian Reaction", perhaps, and the situation would appear more akin to Russia after the events of February 1917. The betrayal is there and it is with bated breath that we await that "Egyptian Bolsheviki", the Muslim Brotherhood, to step into a gap which the military cannot possibly fill. If they are sleeping more calmly in their beds in Washington and Jerusalem this evening, there is, indeed, enough reason to suggest that their peace of mind is misplaced.