Letters: To rule in Egypt

Re “Egypt’s ‘moderate’ despot,” Opinion, Nov. 27 and “A compromise in Egypt,” Editorial, Nov. 27

Jonah Goldberg’s discovery of a “moderate” despot in Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi and The Times’ advocacy of compromise are examples of shameless posturing.

Mideast and Mediterranean states are tossing out the vestiges of colonialism but are justifiably wary of Western tutelage. U.S. attempts to influence what ensues, hoping to ensure Israel’s safety, are intemperate and unwise, as the Arab Spring nations are unsure of what comes next — understandable, given the various groups in contention, none of which can provide a broad consensus.

America’s history is not all that impressive as to humanitarians versus dictators. We have tolerated and backed some of the worst. After our Civil War, supposedly freeing the slave population, Jim Crow laws quickly followed. And let’s not forget the prisons we call reservations.

F. Daniel Gray

Los Angeles

So Morsi has summarily assumed dictatorial powers, and this comes as a shock to all those so jubilant over the Arab Spring. Amazing — not that Morsi did this but that our pundits, so desperate to “make nice” with the Arab world, expected anything else. After all, he’s the leader of the political party of the Muslim Brotherhood, which promised during the 2011 anti-Mubarak revolution that it would stay out of politics.

Michael Jenning

Van Nuys

Morsi’s assumption of dictator-like powers proves that an electorate must be well informed and careful when casting its votes. In the United States, voters recently had to weigh several factors in deciding who was the best candidate for president. Our process usually results in a leader with a centrist political philosophy.

I hope that Egypt can solve its problems through compromise and democratic means rather than with violence.

Chet Chebegia

Long Beach

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