CalebVinsonEgyptPaper1

WhatwerethefactorsleadingtotheendoftheMubarakregime?Inviewofthereadings
oncivil/militaryrelations,wereEgyptianprotesterstoooptimisticaboutreformand
democratizationaspoliticalchangesdevelopedinEgyptin2011?
Introduction
TheEgyptianRevolutionsof2011seeminglypresentacasestudyinwhichthe
dichotomyoftopdownandbottomuprevolutionsisshatteredbytheunionofcivilianprotests
andamilitarycoupthatcombinedtoendtheregimeofMubarakandbringtheSCAFtopower.
Howeverthis,inreality,istrulyonlyatopdownrevolution:theEgyptianmilitary,ina
concentratedefforttosupplantMubaraksregimeandextenditsownhegemony,actedas
CaesaristsinbringingdowntheAncienregime.Theprotesters,hopingforasmoothdemocratic
transitionbetweengovernments,wereinsteadsubjectedtoayearandahalflongmilitaryrule
alliedwiththeMuslimBrotherhood,apartnershipthatresultedinviolenceandconflictoncethe
interestsoftheIslamicExtremistsandtheSCAFdiverged.
FactorsLeadingtotheendoftheMubarakRegime
TheendofMubaraksreign,anoutcomedesiredbyEgyptscivilianpopulationasa
resultofeconomicstagnationandacollapseofEgyptstourismandjobmarket,wasactuallya
resultofatopdownmilitarycoupbytheEgyptianMilitaryorganizedthroughtheSCAF.The
militarysufferedeconomiclossesbecauseoftheprivatizationthatcameaboutduringSadats
rule.Theprotestsofearly2011presentedanexcellentopportunityforthemtoactupontheir
interests.BrechtdeSmet,notesthismilitaryresentmentinhisarticle,First,thehigherechelons
oftheArmedForcessawtheirpoliticalandeconomicpowerwithintheblocdiminished(Kandil,
2011).Thegeneralsbegantofeeladeepresentmenttowardstheirforeign,especiallyAmerican,

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donors(Amar,2011Kandil,2011),andtowardstherisingfactionofneoliberalcrony
capitalistsaroundGamalMubarak,thePresidentsson(Amar,2011).(DeSmet,27).This
anticapitalistsentimentcameaboutbecauseoftheprioreconomichegemonytheEgyptian
militaryhadoverthenationseconomicmeansofproductionmanyindustriesithadpreviously
hadamonopolyonbegantobeprivatizedandexportedtoforeigninvestors.
Aspreviouslynoted,thiseconomicresentmentanddispleasurealsomanifesteditself
withintheEgyptianpopulace.Thus,theEgyptianmilitarywereabletoactasCaesaristsby
joininginonehandwiththepublicprotestorsinCairoandenactingamilitarycoup.TheSCAF
actedasinstrumentalistsinusingthepopulationtostirupmediasensationalismandsupportona
globalscalewhilesimultaneouslyregulatinginternalaffairsandenactingamilitarycouptotake
controlofthegovernmentandregaintheeconomichegemonythattheyhadpreviouslylost.De
SmetnotesthatFortheSCAF,aCaesaristinterventionwasnecessary,because,justasin1952,
thebestwaytohalttheindependentdevelopmentoftherevolutionaryprocesswastoleadand
thuscontrolit.(DeSmet,28).Thusthemilitarywasabletodisguiseitscoupasacivicuprising
supportedbyalegitimatemilitarybody.Thisinstrumentalapproachleadtoayearandahalf
longspellofautonomouscontrolovertheaffairsoftheEgyptianeconomyandatenuous
partnershipwithelectedIslamistOfficialsandtheMuslimBrotherhood.
UnfoundedOptimism:Egyptianprotestersweremisled
TheEgyptianpopulationweremisledfromthestartintothinkingthattheywereallieson
equalfootingwiththeEgyptianmilitaryduringthisstructuralreadjustmentthattooktheguiseof
arevolution.Inreality,therevolutionwasanopportunityforthemilitarytoregaineconomic
powerithadlostduringtheruleofAnwarSadat.AsthescholarZeinadAbulMagdnotesinhis

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article,thismilitaryrulemanifesteditselfinatumultuouspartnershipwiththeMuslim
Brotherhood:TheMuslimBrotherhoodslegislature,thealShuraCouncil,helpedthemilitary
expanditsunaudited,untaxedbusinessempire.(AbulMagd,3).Themilitarypavedthewayfor
theriseofIslamiststopowerinEgyptbyholdingelectionsandoverlookingviolationsinthese
electionssuchasthedistributionofreligiousmaterialsatpollingplacesandthebuyingofvotes
inexchangeforfoodthattheMuslimBrotherhoodoftendidwithrural,poorEgyptians.
Eventually,theSCAFdecidedthatthispartnership,andthedemocraticallyelectedPresident
Morsi,didnotservetheirbestinterests,andtheyonceagainassertedthemselvesinremovinga
regimefrompowerthistime,theregimewasthatofPresidentMorsiandtheBrotherhood.
Needlesstosay,theBrotherhooddidnottakekindlytobeingsupplantedinthismanner
andbeganprotestinginviolentways.EgyptiansoldierswerecapturedinSinaiandmurdered.
Sitinswereorganizedandthedispersedbythepolice,whichonlyleadtofurtherdissentand
conflict.AsAbulMagdnotes,Inretaliationfortheirsitinsbeingdispersedbythepolice,the
MuslimBrotherhooddestroyedandburnedseveralchurchesoftheCopticChristianminorityin
UpperEgypt,burnedshops,injuredandkilledcivilians,andattackedpolicestations.According
toanAmnestyInternationalReport,theMuslimBrotherhoodbrutallytorturedciviliansinthe
sitins.(AbulMagd5).Theseconflictsaretheunfortunatebyproductofthemilitarys
extendedautonomousruleofthecountryandtheirslowtransitionintoarealdemocracy.The
violenceandslowtransitionshowcasetheinappropriateoptimismdisplayedbythepeoplein
allowingtheEgyptianMilitarytoactasCaesaristsandtakepowerdirectly.Thepeoplecouldnot
haveforeseenthedrasticsideeffectsthatthisstructuraladjustmenttotheirgovernmentwould
have.

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Conclusion
TheEgyptiantopdownrevolutionismerelyoneoftheviolentpowerstrugglesthatdot
theperiodknownastheArabSpring.Amovementthatwasinitiallywelcomedasanatural
transitiontodemocracyintheArabLeaguebytherestoftheworldhasinsteadresultedina
massivemilitaryconflictinSyriaandIraq.Whilethepopulationsofallofthesenationswere
fullywithintheirrightstorevoltandtrytopavethewaytodemocratic,legitimategovernments,
thesideeffectsofthesetransitionshavemarkedaveryvolatileanddangerousregionthatplaces
thesecurityoftherestofworldatstake.Optimismisaninappropriatetermtodescribesuchan
outcomethatstillexistsintheArabWorld.Egyptisonenationthatisonthepathtoalegitimate
Constitutionanddemocraticallyelectedgovernmentbutthereisnosuchguaranteethatthe
restoftheArabLeaguefeelsthesamewayandISIShangslikeanalbatrossaroundtheneckof
theremainderofthefreeworld.

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WorksCited:
AbulMagd,Z.(2013).TheEgyptianmilitaryinpoliticsandtheeconomy:Recenthistoryand
currenttransitionstatus.CMIInsight,2.
DeSmet,B.(2014).RevolutionandCounterRevolutioninEgypt.Science&Society,78(1),
1140.