MidnightWatcher – Prophecy in Motion

By Jonah Goldberg – “What do you call a leader of a theocratic and cultish movement with a deep and clear disdain for democracy who suddenly assumes dictatorial powers?

A ‘moderate,’ of course.

Ever since the Muslim Brotherhood broke its promise to stay out of Egypt’s presidential election in the aftermath of the revolution, many Western observers have been in denial about what has been going on. In less than half a year, Mohammed Morsi has deftly built the foundation for despotism.

Much as the Nazis brilliantly cast themselves as reformers sweeping away the corruption of the Weimar Republic, Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood have been using the effort to clean up the detritus of Hosni Mubarak’s dictatorship as an excuse to consolidate power.

In August, when Islamists attacked Egyptian soldiers in the Sinai in an apparent effort to force Egypt into a confrontation with Israel, Morsi used the incident as an excuse to replace Mohamed Hussein Tantawi – a Mubarak-era holdover who headed the military and guarded its independence – with officers more pliable to the Brotherhood.

‘Are we looking at a president determined to dismantle the machine of tyranny,’ Alaa Al Aswany, a democratic activist, asked at the time, ‘or one who is retooling the machine of tyranny to serve his interests?’ That question quickly became, at best, rhetorical.

Morsi proceeded to purge scores of newspaper editors and publishers, declare himself in charge of the drafting of the new constitution and all but wore a sandwich board with the words ‘I’m becoming a dictator!’ on it.

As if to hammer it home, Morsi last week announced that his rule was immune to judicial oversight of any kind. He used the failure of the courts to adequately punish Mubarak-era holdovers as an excuse. It was just that – an excuse, not an explanation.

Morsi softened his language Monday, but aides insisted his edict stood. And the Brotherhood’s position remains clear. ‘If democracy means that people decide who leads them, then (we) accept it; if it means that people can change the laws of Allah and follow what they wish to follow, then it is not acceptable,’ the Brotherhood explained on its website in 2005.

Morsi did have another excuse for seizing power: The timing was good.” Read more.

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