Egypt: Better The Dictator You Know

Another good argument for term limits?

While it is unlikely there will ever be "Miss Me Yet" signs in Egypt with Mubarak's face on them, the fact remains that regardless of the dislike Egyptians have for Mubarak and his legacy--many remain ambivalent as to how they feel about him:

Hosni Mubarak is the only leader most Egyptians have ever really known, so while he remains disliked for how he ran the country, there is an undercurrent of discomfort here with how he has been treated since being forced from power.


There is no survey to prove this, and those who feel a touch of sympathy for the former president tend to say so under their breath, like Salma Sowellem, as she visited an art show recently: “Shhh, I don’t want my boyfriend to hear, he’ll get mad. But Mubarak, he’s an old man. He’s sick. His sons are in prison. That’s enough.”

But the sentiment is very much part of the complex mix of emotions that have overwhelmed this nation as it struggles to reconcile with the past and move into the future, to balance calls for revenge against demands for justice. Egyptians are still not sure if they should pursue South African-style reconciliation, an Eastern European-style hunt for collaborators or just try to forget it all and press on.

Of course, as Egyptians put behind them the euphoria of having deposed Mubarak and begin to detail with the implications of a leading role for the Muslim Brotherhood, they may learn the truth of the expression: Better The Devil You Know.

Technorati Tag: Egypt and Mubarak.