The Journal is firing on all cylinders this morning. Particularly good is this symposium (linked in NR’s briefing) on where Egypt goes from here. The most dispiriting contribution is from Amr Bargisi a leader in the Egyptian Union of Liberal Youth. Usually young democracy activists are a hopeful bunch. He’s not. He concludes:

I believe the reactionary scenario is more likely. But regardless of my own opinion, what is clear is that Egypt lacks the sort of political culture that can sustain a liberal democratic regime. The superficiality of the opposition’s demands is matched only by the absurdity of the regime’s discourse. Without knowledge of the likes of Locke and Burke, Hamilton and Jefferson, my country is doomed to either unbridled radicalism or continued repression.

Meanwhile, Maajid Nawaz a former Islamist who spent time in jail with members of the Muslim Brotherhood and currently a democracy activist in Pakistan. He further confirms (at least my) skepticism about the Iran 1979 scenario.

The leaderless nature of Egypt’s street uprising raises the question of who will fill the vacuum after victory. Concerns about an Islamist takeover are valid. But that scenario is unlikely.
The Brotherhood realizes that this uprising wasn’t theirs to begin with, and that the new Egypt—more patriotic, pluralistic and inclusive—would likely reject a Brotherhood attempt at usurpation. Unlike Amr Moussa (the head of the Arab League), Mohamed ElBaradei (the former international bureaucrat), and Ayman Nour (the liberal party leader and another former cellmate of mine), no one in the Brotherhood possesses the stature to unite the nation behind them. There is no Khomeini-like Islamist figure to hijack this revolution.
In a post-Mubarak Egypt, the Brotherhood would likely increase its presence in parliament, but no Brotherhood figure is likely to win the presidency or a key cabinet post. As the Brotherhood becomes an increasingly legitimate force, though, policy makers in Egypt and beyond should pressure it to abandon its remaining extremist positions, such as its insistence that only a Muslim male may lead the nation.