It's interesting to see some of the comments regarding the Egyptian people in the British media recently.

The angle that irritates me the most is that Morsi was democratically elected, and therefore should be allowed to serve his term. Let's just think about that.

In saying this, our media indirectly are telling us that we can have our vote every four years or so, and then we should just sit back, shut up, and allow the government to do whatever they want unchallenged.

This appalling obedient mentality has allowed the coalition here to introduce tuition fees, withdraw public services, and destroy what remains of the welfare system, including the ongoing privatisation of our NHS.

Regardless of what the Egyptian military might be up to, the Egyptian people have showed us once again that the vote is only the beginning of their participation in the political process.

Governments are answerable to us. As Thomas Jefferson said "When the people fear the government there's tyranny, when the government fears the people there's liberty."

Arthur Anthony
Tooting