Falling Out

The Muslim Brotherhood's and the Egyptian military's uneasy alliance broke apart for the same reasons it was joined: bringing the revolution to an end.  Towards that single goal, the Egyptian military had withdrawn its support from Mubarak two years prior.  For that purpose, the Muslim Brotherhood exercised power.  Because the Brotherhood could not bring the revolution to an end, could not address the underlying social roots of the struggle, which is at core, a class struggle, the Egyptian military deposed Morsi.

The actions of the military are a coup, no less and no more than the expulsion of Zelaya in Honduras was a coup; no more and no less than the 1973 overthrow of the Unidad Popular in Chile by Pinochet was a coup.

Regardless of the theocratic, right-wing nature of the Brotherhood's  Freedom and Justice Party, the military coup in Egypt is not a "victory" of any sort for revolution, nor an advance of the revolutionary process, no more than the overthrow of Allende or Zelaya was a defeat for "democracy." "Democracy" gives way, and gives way always, to class struggle.

The coup is an advance for counterrevolution.  The economic, social, class conflict in Egypt will not be resolved by the coup, by those demonstrating support for the coup, just as the conflicts were not and could not be resolved by the Morsi government.  To the degree that the military is able to cover itself with a "liberal" or "technocrat" or "moderate" mask, the better it will be able to weaken  that struggle, and protect its own privileges, which-- since the military owns quite a bit of the property, the industry, and the infrastructure of Egypt-- pretty much amounts to the same thing.


The so-called "International Marxist Tendency has disgraced itself with the garbage it has published regarding the coup, which is no news and no big deal.  That it attaches the name Marxist to this garbage is somewhat of a big deal, or maybe even more unfortunately it's not such a big deal, to others who think Marx drew the line at supporting the institutions and organizations of capital, whether military or theocratic.

No Marxist has any business supporting the Egyptian military.  And no Marxist has any business supporting the MB/FJP or calling for the return of the Morsi government to power.  The opposition to the coup, to be Marxist, has to be along class lines and based on a class program.  Of utmost importance to the future of the revolution in Egypt is a program that introduces class struggle into the military itself.

With the usual modesty for which I am so well known, I offer, for consideration, criticism, improvement, rejection, discussion, dismissal the following modest items for such a program:

1. repeal of the legislation enabling the government to replace union leaders with Muslim Brotherhood or any other government appointees.

2. workers’ organizations, including defense committees, strike committees to freely function without interference from the military and/or any other part of the government.

3. immediate rejection of the IMF loan, and cancellation of all debt payments to all capitalist governments and their international organizations

4. immediate termination of grants of equipment and money for the military from the United States and any other country.

5. Free, non-religious based, education for all children including college and university levels.

6. no discrimination between men and women regarding wages, education, access to healthcare, dress code requirements, etc..

7. termination of all trade agreements with Israel until such time as the blockade against Gaza is lifted, settlements in the captured territories are eliminated, and the right of return for Palestinians is enacted. Open all the borders, Egyptian and Israeli, surrounding Gaza.

8. the right of workers'  organizations to freely distribute information to the ranks of the military.

9. right of the military ranks to organize committees of representatives.

10. right of enlisted ranks to refuse orders unless such orders are approved by these committees.

And that's as democratic as it gets.

S.Artesian
July 13, 2013