All indications unequivocally point to the fact that restoring stability to the situation in Egypt would require a long time, during which Egyptians would be paying the price for the insistence of one faction on remaining one of the main players on the political stage – despite the failure it showed when it had been nearly the only player there. They would also be paying the price for the people's elite and, ever since February 11, 2011, its struggles to win the cake of the Revolution without having what it takes to win, as well as the price for the frustration felt by the majority of Egyptians, after having realized that they had been used by professional politicians to topple a regime without gaining any benefits from this so far, being instead forced to follow the bone-crushing war and struggle between the boot and the sheep. "The Boot" is an expression that refers to the shoes worn by the soldiers and officers of the Egyptian military, and was used a great deal by activists during the rule of the Military Council, when they would refer to supporters of the latter or enemies of the Revolution and address them as "slaves to the boot", meaning army or military loyalists who would turn a blind eye to the mistakes committed by those in power at the time. The same expression, "slaves to the boot", is now being used by the Muslim Brotherhood and by supporters of deposed President Mohamed Morsi to insult those who support the army, General Al-Sisi, and the June 30 Revolution. On the other hand, there is also the expression "the Sheep", which became widespread after the Muslim Brotherhood rose to power, Morsi assumed the presidency, and the Brotherhood took control of most matters in the country. It was used by those opposed to Morsi to point to all members of the Muslim Brotherhood, considering that they don't think for themselves and merely carry out instructions received from their leaders. Such "Sheep" also do not seek to explain or analyze events, nor to look into the reasons behind them, but rather merely repeat what is dictated to them without making use of their minds. Indeed, they always adhere to their flock and move with it without realizing in the first place why they would be moved from one place to another, why they would assault those in the opposition or would make use of violence, or why they would sabotage state institutions. Between the Boot and the Sheep, Egyptians have become engrossed in shocking debates and foolish behavior that does not seem to be coming to an end any time soon. On the contrary, there is every indication that such language and such methods will last for some time. Those who are waiting for things to calm down, for the situation to stabilize, for security to be restored, and for civilized discourse and prudent behavior to return, must first examine whether the two sides of the conflict have changed their goals, or whether the supporters of each side would accept for concessions to be made. The Muslim Brotherhood seizes every opportunity, every occasion and every event that takes place both in and outside Egypt to assert that it will not calm down, that its protests and demonstrations will continue, and that reaching a meeting point or one of agreement over common grounds with the current government will never occur. On the other hand, Egyptian society remains cohesive despite the violence of protests, the army remains at rest despite the campaign being waged against it, and the police force remains in good health despite terrorism and street warfare against Brotherhood protesters. November 4, the first day of Morsi's trial, will represent a challenge for both the state and the Muslim Brotherhood. Indeed, the latter intends to escalate, yet the question is: what can it do that it has not already done? What the Brotherhood is doing is not likely to topple any government. Its college protests may obstruct education, its street marches following Friday prayer may block traffic and hinder the movement of certain segments of the population, and its attacks against activists and public figures at seminars and conference inside and outside the country may confound them, but toppling governments would require support from the masses which the Brotherhood is losing every day, except on the part of its own supporters and members. The state insists on moving forward with the political roadmap despite all the problems it faces, and every day that passes without this roadmap being discredited goes against the interests of the Muslim Brotherhood. Indeed, the latter aims not only at thwarting the efforts of the current or the next government, but also at causing harm to all parties that have stood against Morsi and the Brotherhood. And despite the losses suffered by the Muslim Brotherhood, it is moving forward on its way, considering that insulting army supporters by using the expression "slaves to the boot" would be sure to discredit those who oppose it, who in turn believe that for as long as "Sheep" may resist, they will inevitably fall in the end.
