(No) Democracy in Egypt

Over at American Footprints, Praktike reports on the political crackdown underway in Egypt:

"Generally, I would say that a crackdown is already underway, one which began either after the first round of the parliamentary elections or with the prosecution of Ayman Nour, depending on how you look at things. Nour is now finished, his party shattered, himself in prison and his wife under threat of prosecution. They're coming after Judges who criticized the conduct of the elections. Gamal is putting his people everywhere in preparation to succeed his father. Three reporters for Al-Masry Al-Youm, Egypt's closest thing to an independent newspaper, until recently were under threat of punishment for defaming a former public official. And so on.

"If freedom is on the march here, it is headed backwards."