The protests in Egypt are continuing and we’re still waiting to see what Morsi’s next move will be. There are a number of analysts who are already writing off the Egyptian Revolution as hopelessly lost, Such judgments are profoundly premature, as argued by Stephen Walt. His argument is definitely worth considering. The latest reports have Morsi annulling his dictatorial powers, but sticking to the 15 December referendum. We’ll see if this concession is enough to settle things down for a short while.
Rania Abouzeid published an essay in Time magazine about a young Syrian soldier who defected from the Syrian army and become a sniper for the rebels. The essay is deeply moving and troubling, raising some of the incredibly difficult issues in determining right and wrong in a civil war. The young man is amazingly clear-headed about the moral indefensibility of his actions, and yet remains committed to the idea that he is doing the right thing.
Silvio Berlusconi essentially brought down the technocratic government of Mario Monti in Italy, by announcing his intention to run for office again. Monti’s leadership depended on the support Berlusconi’s party in Parliament, and the defection of that party from the coalition leaves Monti without a majority. We’ll have to see how the international markets react to this change on Monday, since Italy virtually collapsed economically under Berlusconi’s previous administration. Not a good step for Europe.
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