July 17, 2013 --

The lead editorial in The New York Times, July 4, began: "Despite his failings, and there were plenty, President Mohamed Morsi was Egypt's first democratically elected leader, and his overthrow by the military on Wednesday, was unquestionably a coup."

The editorial, "Crisis in Egypt," continued: It would be tragic if Egyptians allowed the 2011 revolution that overthrew the dictator Hosni Mubarak to end with this rejection of democracy."

Of course, The New York Times had no difficulty that Richard Nixon was forced to resign his presidency, 39 years ago and was succeeded by Gerald Ford who was not elected by the people, not a one of them.

An earlier editorial in The New York Times, June 29, recognized: "Every country's situation is unique...." Yet the media reaction to political developments in Egypt would suggest that Egypt must follow the American example.

Interestingly, the advice offered Egypt by The New York Times has a "do as we say, not as we do" aspect. For example, the June 29 editorial, "Dangerous Divisions in the Arab World" criticized the Morsi administration for deriding the opposition and demonizing religious minorities. One can regularly find scathing editorials in the New York Times deriding President Obama's political opposition.

Interestingly, the Times editorial did not cite Article 31 of Morsi's Constitution which called for a ban on insulting "any human being."

But nor did The New York Times inform readers about the Egyptian Constitution's Article 2 -- stating that Sharia principles provide "the principal source of legislation," or Article 219, providing that Sharia principles are to be applied pursuant to "Sunni doctrines." In short, The New York Times did not consider that the democratic election of President Morsi was merely the door to rejecting democracy in favor of a Sunni theocracy.

The Times' June 29 editorial also seemed to chide Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood for not uniting the nation "around a centrist agenda." LPR is not aware of any criticism of President Obama, in a Times editorial, for steadfastly opposing a centrist agenda in the USA. Indeed, for President Obama, the approach suggests: centralize, yes; centrism, definitely not.

The Times July 4 editorial on Egypt appeared just two pages from the paper's annual printing of the Declaration of Independence and thus, after reading the paper's criticism of the ouster of President Morsi, readers, turning to the op-ed page one could find the Declaration's recognition of "the Right of the People to alter or to abolish" their government when it becomes destructive of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness".

Have the Egyptian people no right to determine for themselves a need, quoting again from the Declaration, "to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness"?