Egyptian Soldiers Clashes With Protesters; 3 Dead

YNet ^ | 16 Dec 2011 | News Agencies

[DoughtyOne]

When the protesters routed Mubarak’s government, and he was forced to step down, it wasn’t very long before the military become their next target.

The military’s main objective was to remain solidly in power.

Allowing it’s funding to be undercut, and it’s budget to be made public so the populace could fixate on it, would have been very problematic.

Say what you will. Without Egypt’s current military, we are facing an exponentially more dangerous Egypt.

Addressing things you think were a mistake by the military, when not doing those things would also have harmed it, is non-productive IMO.

In the end, the only thing that will prove either of us right, is to watch how Egypt develops from here. Without the present military leadership, IMO it gets terribly worse from here.

[edpc]

I know you're not being obtuse, so I must be failing to make my point, somehow. At least if the budget were open, they could make legitimate cases to justify it. When they insisted it had to be completely secret, they lost some credibility with the more rational elements in their society. That only helps the MB in the end.

Beyond that, I agree they are a necessary check on the MB's ambitions.

[DoughtyOne]

If they had a society like ours, a broad middle-class and a least a pretense of an educated public, I’d be a lot more inclined to agree with your premise. (an open to the military budget)

1. You have a lot of poverty in the nation, so any money given the military is suspect from the get-go
2. If the military refuses to attack Israel, that money becomes even more suspect
3. A hostile MB Islamic leadership, will then exploit 1 and 2 eventually destroying the moderate leadership

The military is in a very tough position here. I believe it needs to defend every inch, if it wishes to survive.

Look (not trying to be adversarial here, but arguing on an academic point), will these efforts by the military hurt it? Yes. And it would have been hurt if it hadn’t taken these positions.

It can’t win, and you are proof that even westerners who do understand the need for the Egyptian military to remain in power, are somewhat vulnerable to propaganda against it.

Is there a strategic reason for not releasing your military budget in a place like Egypt? Of course. On Israel’s door-step, you don’t telegraph your expenditures.

The MB is willing to do anything to destroy the moderating force that is their military.

Once that is done, do you think the government will remain totally transparent?

Is Iran’s government spending transparent? It may be, I don’t actually know.