On a more serious note, the news from Egypt is not good. The stresses of over-population on a country lacking natural resources continue to burden the infrastructure and population. Their aging leader will get sick soon or die, and his attempts to install his son as the heir apparent may not work. Because they refused to shut down the gas pipeline to Israeli during the siege of Gaza, they are widely seen as traitors and pawns of the Western powers. The food riots of last year have stopped since falling gas prices have made bread cheaper, but falling natural gas prices have also deprived the state of some of their income and I imagine tourism is declining as is shipping through the canal.
Reading the news I get a sinking feeling of dread that the country is about to unravel. Discord between Copts and Muslims, growing alienation between the government and the people, lack of employment, an increasingly audacious Islamist movement: These things are kindling.
Anything could be the spark: the death of President Mubarak; a new war between Hezbollah and Israel; an earthquake; government corruption brought to light.
I hate being depressingly pessimistic, and maybe I shouldn't let my emotions get in the way of what's supposed to be an objective blog but I just don't see any hope of a brighter future for this generation of young Egyptians. They're building on dessert wasteland now. The security apparatus is weak. There are no opportunities to earn for the ambitious and educated. Population growth is still way too high and they're susceptible to the currents of violence emanating from their neighbors. Perhaps worst of all, there are guns now:
Say these shipments don't quite make it to Gaza, but they're not destroyed en route. Who ends up with them? The highest bidder? friends of the Ayatollah? The guy driving the truck? The guy at the checkpoint who takes the truck? Then what? Who loads them? Who hands them out? Who fires them? Who gets shot? Does it matter who shoots first?
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