While Western politicians have massaged their own moral standing by threatening to bomb Syria, it is worth remembering their contempt for people in the Middle East and love of military dictatorships in general. By failing to call a coup a coup, the West gave the Egyptian military the green light to massacre hundreds of protestors on the streets. Filmed just before the massacre, in this revealing on-the-sofa discussion, Middle East expert Karl Sharro explains the gross betrayal of democratic ideals and huge setback that the coup represents. Despite the inspiration the Arab Spring provided, with the fall of Mubarak in 2011, the seeds of this horrific outcome were there, he explains, in the lack of leadership or political vision. It is astonishing to learn that even so-called liberals now believe Egyptians who are illiterate should lose their right to vote. Today’s military power in Egypt, much loved by Tony Blair, is a disaster for the Egyptian people, Sharro tells us. Looking to the army as political arbiter can never advance democracy.
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