We’ll see how it goes, but I’d be stunned if this turned into a major humiliation, especially when there’s the Jihad in Syria and upcoming total (perceived) American defeat in Afghanistan set against it, amongst much else. Most likely lesson: Don’t waste time with Kaffir institutions, build everything out of holy war. Chance of near-term large-scale Jihad in Egypt is far from negligible, come to that.

It can scarcely be imagined that a few months of Muslim Brotherhood misgovernment is going to sear any lasting scars into the global Islamic soul.

Instead, it sets the precedent that Islamic government is a loser that only provokes a real government to kick it to the curb. If this pattern is filled out, it will be better for everyone involved. Moreover, such a pattern would be particularly galling to the Islamists themselves, more so than mere starvation in this world.

We’re dealing with primitive, essentially theological arguments here. Barbarians are bad, evil, authoritarian meanies who want to do bad, evil, mean things likes blow up pyramids.

From a primitive, essentially theological perspective, it could be worse.

There’s a cultural death-penalty worth of barbarism right here.

The difference between Pinochet and Khomeini for them would be that Pinochet is less authoritarian hence less bad, evil, and mean, or that Pinochet’s brand of authoritarianism is less bad, evil, and mean.

We’re dealing with primitive, essentially theological arguments here.

Barbarians are bad, evil, authoritarian meanies who want to do bad, evil, mean things likes blow up pyramids. These guys are barbarians, so they’re bad, evil, mean. Etc.

Barbarians come up with this kind of idea.
Civilized people think things were better under the Pharoahs.

China will work with anyone, including bad, evil, authoritarian meanies from barbarous cultures.

I don’t get your confidence on the second point. Why not assume — on equally shaky grounds — that they support the coup because they despise demotic politics in barbarous cultures? (There’s at least some chance the military dictator went to Sandhurst, some bearded oddball from the MB, not so much.)