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Originally Posted by Seaver
If you read the intellectual thinking of the time you'll begin to understand it.
Maybe it was because of the decade of anti-democratic propoganda Nasser spread throughout Iraq. It is very relevant outside of US policy, Nasser led the Arab world to a vision of unified Arab Socialism which though failed ended up turning much of them away from the liberal ideas that were until then predominant. Everytime Nasser made a speach proclaiming Arab unity it would create riots in Iraq and Jordan, and led to the overthrow of the monarchy in Syria.
You fail to understand that Egypt was not a simple coupe. While it may have started that way it became something entirely different. Even after the disasterous '67 war Nasser remained so popular they riotted when he left office for him to return. This alone proves that it was NOT a mere coup.
His popularity caused a Revolution in Iraq, Jordan, Syria, and Yemen. His message of anti-democratic socialistic state was embraced by the people. THIS is why it matters, THIS is why you should read the intellectual readings at the time in order to understand the mindset of the people. The people were not merely people oppressed (though much of it went on), but the actual leaders of change.
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I refuse to accept that the Egyptian revolution happened in a vacuum. I've read "Towards Freedom" and "Philosophy of Revolution", and while interesting, they're both odd mixes of facism and ethnic pride. Nasser was a totalitarian leader in the style of Stalin, and he violently exterminated any political resistance. Rioting because he left office is more of a case for his cult of personality than any sort of democratic movement.
Let's also remember how brilliantly he played the US and the USSR off one another at the height of the Cold War.
What you're arguing here is truely bizarre - Nassar inspired anti-democratic movements among the people. No political system that I've ever heard of has the people demanding that leaders take power from them. Nasser inspired other military strongmen to seize power and use Nasserism as an excuse, but to say that the people forceably handed over power to the military is laughable.