On The Crisis in Egypt !

Post Script Nov, 23,2011 Originally published Feb.6 2011 I just felt that a rereading of this February blog on Egypt may be useful in understanding the new rage in Tahrir Square.

I mean with all the punditry blah blah blahing on the 24 hour cable circuit I was really trying to stay out of it. Alas, I can not. The problem with the Punditry is they all are saying the same thing. Will Mubarak go, will he stay until September? Who will take over? What’s Obama doing, what did Hillary say? Yeah and what about the Israelis? I’m wading in because nobody seems to be aware of the CLASS STRUGGLE that is taking place in Egypt.

The whole idea of the class struggle got out of favor after Fukuyama wrote “The End of History.” The collapse of the Soviet Union would usher in the era of capitalism as being the only surviving system ipso facto the end of history. That would also include the end of the class struggle. (Pssst, also the end of Marxism.) It wasn’t long after that anyone who used the word “class” in politics was accuse of starting a “class war.” God forbid. Maybe it is this phenomena that now keeps otherwise intelligent people from refusing to look at the class content of the struggle in Egypt.

It has been acknowledged that a million and a half of young people 15 to 25 are unemployed with no chance of finding a job. There’s another million employed workers who are paid substandard wages. Jobs for women are almost non existence. Yes that’s why the street demonstrations have been led by youth. Like the “old man” said, “they have nothing to lose.” Then I started looking for, who are the major employers in Egypt? Wow, guess what I found?

“The army in Egypt is a great power, not only military, but also economic. The army is the main employer in the country , capitalist 1. The military receive contracts for the construction of bridges and roads, and for the production of gasoline and olive oil, and they own tourist hotels and hospitals. The military elite is an integral and important part of the corrupt bureaucratic system. (Sort of like our very own Haliburton but more so.) “And at the same time, in the eyes of the Egyptian people the army is is the symbol of “independence.” Remember Eisenhower’s warning about the “Military Industrial Complex? Guess what? That’s who is actually ruling in Egypt.

Wow! talk about a nifty setup for the military. No wonder they don’t want any class warfare. They are the ruling class who control the whole works. Yes, the production facilities, the infra structure, the roads, the sewers the water works. Eureka I found it. Just like the Anaconda Copper Company back in Montana 1953. How did it happen?

After the 1979 Peace Treaty between Israel and Egypt was signed it left the Egyptian Army with little or nothing to do. So, they went into business and they have been there ever since. They are the elite bunch who have sponsored and kept Mubarak in power for 30 years. They will now have Suleiman as the transition boss who will certainly make sure that the business interests of his army buddies is in no way disturbed. Now our leaders seem to have gotten the message. “Oh yes we have to give the Egyptian Government time to “transition.” This so called transition is pure Kabuki. “You are now with Mubarak and will transition to Suleiman.” Guess what? It’s the same old Army Industrial Complex that will continue to rule.

There you have a class analysis of what’s going on in Egypt. Will the removal of Mubarak make much difference? I don’t think so unless the demonstrators can get their stuff together and start negotiating some real concessions from the RULING CLASS.

That’s the problem when an unorganized band of angry people take to the streets without a well disciplined organization. What is essential in that situation? A clear set of demands need to be articulated. Leaders are needed, who represent the will of the demonstrators and can negotiate with the Ruling Class. Otherwise it will just be another brave effort that ends up leaving everything as it was before the uprising. What comes to mind is Vaclav Havel in Czechoslovakia 1969. Or the Shipyard workers in Gdansk Poland. They had real power and leaders to do the negotiating. That’s the lesson of history.