Al-Arab Blog - مدونة العرب

Baheyya: Egypt Analysis and Whimsy

Blog: Baheyya: Egypt Analysis and Whimsy
Post: Debunking the myth that won't die
Link: http://baheyya.blogspot.com /2005/06/debunking-myth-that-wont-die.html

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Debunking the myth that won't die

It is a standard truism that Egyptians are "apathetic," "politically stagnant," "quiescent" and all the other well-worn adjectives said to capture both Egyptian history and contemporary Egyptian politics. Such claims have acquired the status of self-evident truths, oh-so-wisely invoked to explain anything and everything about the Egyptians. So it's doubly entertaining to now see journalists and analysts tripping over themselves as they jettison the "stagnation" trope after current events have exposed it for what it is. One day, I'd like to hear how they explain the shift from "stagnation" to the social action we're seeing all around us. But right now, I'm more interested in going beyond conventional and/or suspect ideas to knowledgeable insights.  ... Read More