Monthly Archives: July 2013

You live by the sword, you die by the sword

It is mind boggling to see people who champions democracy always believe in bringing down the government through undemocratic means.

As far as Egypt is concerned, street demonstration is not democratic. How can it be when the losers refuse to acknowledge the winners in a democratic election? Even worse these losers expect things to become better simply because changes have been made. What they fail to realise is that they themselves have become a stumbling block for prosperity and stability to take place. The elected government can’t do anything because people keep protesting. It is practically as good as no government at all.

Remember, democracy is about compromise in order to get things done. I don’t think there is any democratic country that can turn around the crisis within a short period of time. The great United States of America is still in recession for the past 5 years.

Undoubtedly things have become so much worse compare to Hosni Mubarak’s time.  How could it be? Isn’t change what Egyptians believe will make their life better? It was the refusal to accept loses and failure to understand how the government works in a democracy have brought Egyptians to where they are today.

Some background: In 2011, President Hosni Mubarak was brought down when millions of Egyptians took to the streets expressing their anger and disapproval. Two years later, the democratically elected President Morsi faced the same fate when Egyptians had enough of him. This time the numbers of protesters were even more.

Clearly Egyptians believe in street demonstrations more than the elections. Why should they wait for full term to change the government when they can opt for the faster, cheaper and proven solution? Once the people realise that changes can be made through the bullet rather than the ballot, all hell breaks loose. This is the best example of you live by the sword, you die by the sword.

Some might say Morsi was democratically elected. More than 50% of the population voted for him. Therefore it is wrong to say he was lived by the sword, what more he deserved to die by the sword. Well, this is not about Morsi. It is about when people thought they have the right to bring down the government through ‘democratic’ street demonstrations, they can kiss goodbye to stability and prosperity.

But of course the champion of democracy will say this is a small price to pay. Perhaps it would be good if elections to be abolished.

Mat Rodi

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