The struggle that lies ahead in Egypt

[Hannah Bell]

The combination of these political and social struggles have won some important concessions from both employers and the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces in the weeks following Mubarak's fall...

BUT SO far, these struggles have proven insufficient to force the ruling Supreme Council to concede important democratic demands or address larger workers' grievances...

The fact that the majority of the political and economic demands of the January 25 revolution have yet to be met is a reflection of the fact that the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces--not revolutionaries or organizations representing revolutionaries--ended up on top after February 11.

The Supreme Council itself is an integral part of the Egyptian capitalist class. It is composed of Mubarak-era generals who benefit from the existing class system in Egypt. The military controls around a quarter of the economy, including a gigantic arms sector, construction, factories, agricultural land, hotels, and on and on...

http://socialistworker.org/2011/02/28/the-struggle-that-lies-ahead-in-egypt

[readmoreoften]

1. Excellent article. Ahmed Shawkti's insight from being in Cairo has been great.

K&R