The recent crisis in Egypt has been difficult for many to get a firm grasp on. With all of the various factions involved, it is sometimes very difficult to come to concrete conclusions as to what the posture of the United States should be.
There are several things that can be known for sure. Namely, that the Islamist elements in Iran are licking their collective chops at the thought of removing a significant check on their power in the greater region. In light of the larger geopolitical implications of these Egyptian protests, it is quite distressing to hear some current and former officials discussing their delight at what they seem to believe will be a new era of “democracy” in Egypt. While these officials are right on some things, they are wrong about democracy.
Firstly, democracy is a theory that has never worked in reality. Even in the “enlightened” world of Ancient Athens, democracy merely served as a transition to tyranny. Observers of early American history well know that the French Revolution was launched with the slogan of “liberty, equality, and fraternity,” and it ended with Napoleon. Even now the North Korean government identifies itself as Democratic.
Democracy has often been a means to an end of tyranny. Communist regimes have often used the banner of democracy to gain power. It should not surprise us to hear the Muslim Brotherhood now publicly using language that includes words like “liberty,”this tactic has long been used by future tyrants to convince their future subjects to empower them.
The danger is evident in Egypt. While some in Egypt may truly desire to see reform, the Muslim Brotherhood stands to gain from these protests. The collective voices calling for democracy are in many ways playing into the hands of the Islamists. Egypt’s Palestinian neighbors to the north in the Gaza strip experimented with democracy and elected Hamas. The danger of a similar result is present in Egypt.
Our Founders recognized the dangers of democracy. Some even considered it to be the worst form of government. They advocated for a republic. However, for one to have a republic, certain presuppositions must be present. These include concepts of individual autonomy, consent of the governed, and federalism. Sadly, Islamic dogma is not necessarily open to these concepts, and we have not seen a willingness on the part of the Islamic world to accept them.
The best outcome would be a federalist republic, however, we are unlikely to see such a result. Instead we may be forced to watch as the Islamists use democracy as a tool to institute tyranny.
