Presidents, Problems, and Power

Since 2011, Egypt has been through two revolutions and a plethora of other problems.  Hosni Mubarak and Mohamed Morsi were both extremely corrupt presidents and subsequently “protested” out of office. Mubarak had been president for thirty years while Morsi lasted roughly a year. Morsi was a major member of the Muslim Brotherhood, a frequently oppressed Islamist group that wants Egypt to become an Islamist nation. General Fattah al-Sisi became president in June of 2014 and is still in office today.

However, Egypt is still dealing with major problems. Its biggest issue at the moment is the energy crisis. Blackouts occur frequently and can last anywhere from a few hours to twenty hours. Egypt’s power network is extremely fragile, and for a long time has been using more power than it actually had. Without constant electricity, Egypt is unable to address its water crisis. While the electricity is a major issue, so is Egypt’s lack of clean water. The good thing is, it seems like the people are more forgiving of President Sisi. They are still anxious for him to solve these problems, but mass protests aren't occurring. In fact, the electricity problem is a typical topic of discussion and many jokes are made about it as well. Some people say, “We were having such a nice time, and the power came back and the light ruined the moment.” Sisi has the people’s support; he just needs to get things rolling.

Right now the US really needs to try and remain allies with Egypt. We've been allies since 1922, but recently we've not been getting along. Egyptians have not been pleased with America’s actions in regards to the revolution. Egyptians feel the US was too quick to abandon Mubarak, as well as support the Muslim Brotherhood. Egypt also feels that the US has been too evasive in terms of its actions. It refused to recognize Morsi’s “removal” as a coup, cut some of its military aid, and has recently criticized the new legislature that Egypt has produced. The Egyptian public feels alienated and that’s why Egypt is looking at developing a rapprochement with Russia.

The Western media has seemed to favor the protesters and activists of Egypt. I think it tries to stay neutral, and it definitely talks about both sides, but for the past three years it’s helped the protesters and hurt the presidents. The media highlights and emphasizes the negative things about both Mubarak and Morsi, and they probably deserve it, but it’s still bias. In terms of the issues today, the media has been more neutral because it’s waiting for a side to take. At the moment, the majority of Egyptians are giving President Sisi the benefit of the doubt and just waiting for him to fix the pressing issues.

If Sisi can get Egypt out of its economic crisis he’ll be a hero. If he can’t…

Should Egypt develop military ties with Russia?

If President Sisi doesn't succeed, do you think there will be another revolution?