Hope Amid the Chaos in Cairo

[Valin]

NRO:

Color me hopeful
Jonah Goldberg

History is lurching in the Middle East — perhaps forward, possibly backward.

Consequently, some see the newly minted revolution in Tunisia and the unfolding one in Egypt (and possibly Yemen, Jordan, and elsewhere) as hopeful news. Others see them as worrisome.

Color me hopeful.

Obviously, things can — and probably will — get worse before they get better. In one or more countries, we could have a modernized replay of the Iranian revolution, in which justified popular discontent with an authoritarian ruler was exploited by Islamists who ultimately imposed an even crueler brand of tyranny.

(snip)

Moreover, it’s worth noting that chaos cuts both ways. The Muslim Brotherhood sees this as its moment too. But that doesn’t mean the path for it is clear. Many Egyptians joined the Brotherhood because it seemed like the only conduit for their justified hatred of Mubarak’s regime. The days when the Brotherhood was the only game in town are over as well. Tomorrow remains a blank page. That alone is hopeful news.