Persistence in Egypt

Less than two years ago, a revolution in Egypt to oust its authoritarian regime became a central storyline for the world to follow. Less than half a year ago, the country removed its authoritative president Mohamed Morsi from power. Today, however, it is seeming less likely that it will break out of its extractive chains and evolve into a more inclusive state. The reason for this, of course, is persistance. The very same revolutionaries that fought for inclusiveness and democracy just months ago  "have since supported the increasingly authoritarian decisions of the interim government which followed".

"An Egypt which serves the interests of Bread, Freedom, and Social Justice cannot exist without a pluralistic society participating in an inclusive democracy, the principles of which struggle to survive within the minds of a powerless minority."

The revolutionaries have backed measures that would do little to "scale back military authority and secure basic civil liberties". As A&R have asserted, persistence is a major reason that states seem to be bound to the vicious cycle of extractive institutions. Despite the initial intentions of the liberal revolutionaries in Egypt, a backslide into extractive institutions was always a possibility given the shaky foundation of the pluralism and inclusiveness that it was supposed to foster.