Egypt Rising Up

As I was finishing the index to Connected in Cairo the Egyptian people rose up against the tyranny that has shaped their political lives for thirty years. My wife and I have been glued to news and social media, tracking what’s happening both in the broad sense and to the many Egyptians who have been our friends and informants over the years. As a professor of International Studies at Miami University I have been asked with increasing frequency to speak about the Egyptian uprising. This set of pages was created as a place to summarize some of the things I’ve been talking with colleagues and students about.

Please click on any topic below to begin.

Why Revolution?

What exactly are the people of Egypt so angry about that they would take to the streets for weeks, shutting down business as usual, creating economic upheaval and risking their life and safety?

Why Now?

There have been many strikes, protests and revolts in the thirty years since President Mubarak assumed office. Why have these protests been so large, widespread and successful?

What Next?

On Feb. 13 I gave a public lecture at Miami University entitled “After Mubarak: What Next?” In it, I outlined six possible scenarios and discussed their relative plausibility.