Victory for Egypt?

Not long after news broke that Hosni Mubarak was going to step down after 30 years as the president of Egypt my Facebook and Twitter pages lit up with status updates touting victory for the Egyptian protestors. Major change brought on by the power of the people. A dictator dethroned through the banded might of the nations oppressed citizens.

Though it all sounds so very romantic, my inner realist prevails. The fact of the matter is that the protesters succeeded in instigating a military coup and currently it seems a religious fundamentalist group with extremist ties is the only major player poised to take control if the country were to proceed to democratic elections. Pardon my negativity but I’d say the Egyptians are pretty far from claiming victory just yet.

Don’t get me wrong, this could work out. It is just that I am a bit leery of the process. Sure, in some cases an angry mob is the only way to incite change. My concern is that that angry mob does not bring with it a clear and concise plan outlining how to move forward in a manner that will suit the needs of the people, and work cohesively with the rest of the area and the world. The crowd disperses leaving few to pick up the pieces.

I just hope that the interim rulers are prepared and choose the right path because in the already highly unstable middle-east a failure here may be catastrophic. Not just for Egypt but the global community.