“Since November 2012, we have called for a national dialogue, which was accepted by all parties except the presidency.”

That’s the money quote from General El-Sissi’s speech.

November 2012, when Morsi pretty much declared himself dictator, was the turning point in his metamorphosis from “Egypt’s first democratically elected President” into “widely loathed untransparent religious conspirator.”

I’m concerned about the track record of the military, but at the moment I’m not especially concerned about Morsi’s “legitimacy.” The 17 million people in the streets on June 30 remind us that legitimacy is not just about winning a bare majority in an election and then giving a polarized populace the middle finger for 4 years, especially in a post-Revolutionary situation when the pudding hasn’t even cooled yet.

Now, let’s really, really hope that the Army has learned its lesson from last time. Egypt will have a precious opportunity at hitting the “reset” button, and let’s hope it works better this time.