The Muslim Brotherhood’s atrocious record in government has obscured the nature of the army’s coup, directed against the Egyptian people and the revolutionary potential of their deep disaffection with the old regime. As for the remnants of that regime – these elites are playing a game in which instability is a vital ingredient.

The best way for the military to retain its privileges would be to step back from its high-visibility role. The more time that passes, though, the higher the cost of doing this will be — as the military’s iron grip on institutions drives opposition forces towards, and not away, from each other

Egypt's recent elections went very much as expected. This, however, doesn't mean they were insignificant.