This article represents a volley in the regime’s effort to justify capitulation with the IMF conditions to finance the impoverishment and enslavement of Egypt.
He says “The dire economic situation precedes the IMF deal and its terms by many months”, failing to mention that Sisi has been striving ever since he seized power to adhere to IMF recommendations; implementing measure after measure in compliance with the diktats of Christine Lagarde. The author is basically criticizing the lack of complete and total adherence, and saying that this lack is the reason for Egypt’s economic crisis. In other words, every single point of the IMF program MUST be imposed immediately and simultaneously, and this alone can rescue Egypt from the fate worse than death that is IMF dissatisfaction.
He says “Isn’t it time to rethink the state policy of civilian and military intervention in every economic sector without a clear objective or assessment of its effects?” Note, he did not restrict his objection to the army’s intervention in the economy; he opposes even civilian state intervention…in other words, total deregulation and privatization. He is saying that business should not be accountable or supervised in any way; they should enjoy complete sovereignty and impunity.
“…Is it enough to increase spending on social welfare programs to protect the poor and low-income groups…” this is no more than an indirect way of saying, “we should cut social spending and support for the poor”.
There is nothing unique in this article; it is standard neoliberal orthodoxy, spouted by a standard sycophant of corporate imperialism; an Arab mouthpiece for Western conquerors telling you that the chains they are putting around your necks are for your own good.
The only interesting thing here is this:
“…If the people are being asked to assume additional burdens, isn’t it reasonable to ask the state to be more transparent in its plans and initiate a genuine societal dialogue with input from unions, civil society, and political institutions?
And if the state expects the public to support it and its austerity policy and to tolerate further hardship, doesn’t this require fundamental changes in the political climate that restricts people’s freedom, denies them the chance to express their opinion and protest, and curbs young people’s participation in shaping the future of their country?…”
In my opinion, this indicates again that the international business community is inclined to replace Sisi with, probably, Gamal Mubarak to try to normalize the situation in Egypt and defuse the volatile, smoldering revolutionary tension in the society, and Allah Knows Best.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContentP/4/245227/Opinion/Egypt-The-IMF-is-not-to-blame–we-are.aspx