So... Egypt

The "optimistic" numbers from the Egyptian security forces were that they only killed twenty people today. The Muslim Brotherhood claims hundreds are dead.

This situation is really interesting to me. What was the last time we had an underdog we couldn't root for? It seems to be paralyzing commentators and international groups that would like to respond.

it certainly strains the idealism of people that are "pro-democracy"

push come to shove, I'm rarely a fan of the military deposing a ruler, though similar events have happened in Turkey and it is almost undeniable that their actions protected democracy in that nation.

Yeah...I have little sympathy for the Muslim Brotherhood.

Originally posted by Master Han
Yeah...I have little sympathy for the Muslim Brotherhood.

your sympathy is trivial, they were undeniably elected and still have massive support from the Egyptian population.

Originally posted by Oliver North
your sympathy is trivial, they were undeniably elected and still have massive support from the Egyptian population.

Massive support =/= majority support.

And one of the principles of a democratic republic is the protection of minority rights. By their name, the Brotherhood clearly wants to model legislation and political organization on Islamic statutes, which means that religious beliefs will be forced upon those who are either not Muslim, or are a different sect of the Islamic faith than whichever one dominates the organization.

And since faith is based on...well, faith, and not empiricism, it's not ethical to force others to adhere to it, which you would have to do if you wish to make your religious motivations worth more than a cute name. Or is their legislation going to be optional to follow now?

=-------

To make a melodramatic analogy, that a majority once supported segregation really does nothing to justify it.

and at least dozens of dead protestors, overwhelmingly non-violent, killed in a series of massacres by the same people who deposed the democratically elected leader give the military the moral authority?

Originally posted by Oliver North
and at least dozens of dead protestors, overwhelmingly non-violent, killed in a series of massacres by the same people who deposed the democratically elected leader give the military the moral authority?

Did I actually say the military had moral authority? I'm just pointing out that the Muslim Brotherhood doesn't really either.

Originally posted by Master Han
Did I actually say the military had moral authority? I'm just pointing out that the Muslim Brotherhood doesn't really either.

no, but they had the democratic authority

Originally posted by Oliver North
no, but they had the democratic authority

And? Segregation was also democratically supported.

right, because democracy is only worth defending when the people we like win

I'm just pointing out that I don't feel sympathy for the Muslim Brotherhood. Nowhere do I indicate support for a military dictatorship, or whatever.

Originally posted by Master Han
Did I actually say the military had moral authority? I'm just pointing out that the Muslim Brotherhood doesn't really either.

The Muslim Brotherhood has a huge amount of moral high ground. The new government has shutdown from MB new stations.

Originally posted by Master Han
I'm just pointing out that I don't feel sympathy for the Muslim Brotherhood. Nowhere do I indicate support for a military dictatorship, or whatever.

you don't have sympathy for a group of people whose democratically elected leader was overthrown, are being systemically oppressed by a military apparatus of the new regime and are being murdered in the streets for non-violent protest?

and you have the audacity to try and use the civil rights movement to support your point?

smh

What is it with your strawman distortion that I somehow condone the actions of the military?

Oh, I feel sorry for the people who were shot. But not the organization's purpose and ideology as a whole.

you don't think Morsi should have been removed from power? Even though he was dramatically increasing the power of the president and imprisoning journalists and political opponents? Morsi himself was acting very much like a dictator and theocrat.

...what?

I was referring to the military's current actions.

like their current action of removing Morsi from power?

What? No, your point about them shooting people.

I know this might sound crazy, but there might be some connection between those events...

What, so overthrowing Morsi requires shooting protestors now? They're two connected actions that can nonetheless be judged independently.

And why are you suddenly switching positions? 😕