There are weeks when decades happen

Student ID: 300492369

Article Title: There are weeks when decades happen: structure and strategy in the Egyptian revolution.

Article Author: Amy Holmes

The article is an analysis of the unlikely Egyptian revolution with reference to socialist revolutionary theory and other explanations for the impact of the 18 days of protest.  Despite occurring during the ‘Arab Spring’ the Egyptian revolution faced several hurdles that lowered the chance of success and continue to confuse or at least divide political scientists.

Firstly, according to Lenin a revolution can only take place when the upper class can no longer maintain their power. This is not the case as the military penetrated society and the state remained heavily involved economically. 95% of the Egyptian population is gathered on the Nile and this allowed the government greater control over it, compared to other countries in the region. The revolution also stemmed from these urban areas which is unusual.

Secondly, the ruling elite remained united with the only notable division the author references between businessmen and generals. The successor to Egyptian leadership overhauling the government at the time. However, despite being dissatisfied these elites did not aid the protesters and there was no attempted coup to destabilize the regime.

Thirdly, non-government financiers were also uninterested in supporting the revolution. The Egyptian Businessmen’s Association reported none of their members donated to the ‘occupation of Tahrir’ A significant location with which most of this research is concerned. These businesses and the two wealthiest Egyptians also proved willing to cower before the state, temporarily ending their services (telecommunications) so the government could try and limit awareness.

And finally, the Egyptian government had international support from the United States of America. They received 2 billion US dollars in aid each year and the US is involved in 80% of their weapon purchases, this is incredibly significant especially for a military-oriented regime. If they had supported the protesters this would be a suitable explanation for the quick demise of the regime but that is not the case and their support for the Egyptian government was unwavering, aid was not cut off and there was no diplomatic penalty for combating protesters. The United States of America was acting entirely in their own interest, hypocritically supporting Tunisia for its democratic reform, and ignoring the rising violence in Egypt.

And it is clear the revolution was violent although the death toll was not incredibly high, less than 1000 people died, and the military refused to combat protesters after they had defeated police forces. That is not to say that individual soldiers did not participate on both sides and the military was briefly commanded to assist the police (supplying them with ammunition) before their defeat.

This information is interesting, but it does not explain why the Egyptian Revolution was successful. These protests grew rapidly and unexpectedly and once they reached critical popularity the ‘pillars’ of the Egyptian regime crumbled. The people stopped fearing the state, the military ceased taking orders and finally international support withered after the people began taking security into their own hands and depriving the government of its authority over the territory.

It is a rejection of the impenetrable fortress this regime and others attempt to become. Despite all their planning, every asset at their disposal and every sacrifice they were willing to make (political succession) this regime still fell apart because it did not have public support from the lower and middle class. I would have preferred more time was spent on how this public support was obtained and why previous attempts had failed because as the article explains there had been more recent and large demonstrations.

The piece has changed my perspective of other regimes and especially regarding current politics. It would not be a stretch for protest to grow out of hand in western countries where it is unfeasible to harm protesters and for this to result in a break down of authority. ‘Popular Security’ and ‘Liberated Zones’ which are both named in this article’s conclusion echo to me the ‘Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone’ in the United States of America and the current debate around disbanding the police. These occurred during the later stages of the Egyptian Revolution and I do not believe that is where the USA is heading but it nevertheless interesting to see similar tactics.

This article is not controversial as I understand it although there are certainly those who would argue individual points given the contentiousness of a revolution. The article is responsibly sourced directly by the author, an extensive reference section and the testimony of some citizens who remained unnamed.