Translated "Avante|" article by Angelo ALves, Member of the Political Committee and of the International Department
When the great demonstrations within Egypt broke out in 2011, many were those who hastily labelled the events as a revolution. Behind, were years of union struggles, farmers and of many other professional sectors and progressive political forces, hidden away from the media lights. Struggles of many years against the Mubarak dictatorial regime, but above all ,against all that it signified. Struggles against general impoverishment, mainly after 1991, following the “austerity” measures. Struggles against the imposed reforms by the same IMF of heritage destruction, that remained from Nasser‘s time, namely in education and health. Struggles against the dramatic effects of privatizations and the economic occupation, carried out by the USA’s and European great multinationals, with severe consequences in galloping unemployment among a very young population. Struggles against the agriculture agreements which had, as consequence, the agriculture destruction throughout the very rich Nile valley, replacing it by imports, issued from the great European and North-American agro-business.
These were and are some of the actual reasons for the protests within Egypt. But as mentioned then, it ought to be ingenuity to consider that imperialism, namely the North-American, would have crossed their arms, before the people holding their destinies, of this very important country, towards imperialist and Zionist domain in the Middle East. Considering its natural resources, the economic importance of some of its regions (such as the Sinai peninsula), the decisive importance of the Suez Canal together with the fact of Egypt having one of the greatest armies in the region, financed, organized and trained by the USA.
That was the case. Reediting old alliances between imperialism and the so-called “moderated Islamism” (the Muslim Brotherhood), the USA hastily “corrected” the events’ direction, removing Mubarak, its old ally, and opened up the path towards the “new power”. Not before taking some measures in order to the army power ( over which the USA never gave up having a direct influence) over the political influence remained in the essential untouchable, along with the multinationals’ interests. And that proves what has originated the current events in Egypt. And reality within Egypt the events prove it that imperialism’s economic and military power has been kept, towards the new circumstances, upon Morsi’s election. But by bearing the essential of the current events‘ origin. The direction unto impoverishment, growing unemployment, an unsustainable economic situation with no resolve, but instead, deepened, and once more, awakened the Egyptian revolt. Confronted with an eroded government for general corruption, Obama’s administration, once more, determined the course of the events, and that dictated the army’s sudden “democratic conscience”. A “conscience” which ended up as a military coup and followed by the nomination of a new government, issue from a military junta, with many of the personalities , belonged to the previous regime and army, or USA’s trusted people ( as El-Baradei), which ought to guarantee, that once more, the essence of power is safeguarded. But imperialism’s plans are shuffled by one dice: mass experience in progress and the conscience of its own real power, towards a direction that steadfastly interprets their interests, with an objective of real change of the political power’s nature. The conscience that a real revolution in Egypt is possible. For all those, our solidarity.
