State of dejection

By Anwar El-Hawari

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The political elite in Egypt is all but moribund, having lost the ability to take any kind of initiative, no matter how small.

The anomie pervades all sections of society. The elite itself appears bridled by a dispirited mindset wherein it is no longer convinced of the reason for its own survival and legitimacy. The paralysis comes from within, not just from without. The masses, for their part, seem to share the elite's morbid outlook. They perceive the political elite as having put itself into a coffin, and is determined to close the lid not only on itself, but on the state, the nation and the people along with it.

An ancient and shrewd people, the Egyptian public is treating their political elite's dismal disposition with a great deal of cynicism. They seem to have opted for getting what gratification they can out of the crisis, even if this is limited to cracking jokes, or engaging in expressions of futile wrath and fatuous protest.

Add to this the fact that the political elite's allies abroad increasingly seem convinced that it has outlasted its expiry-date, having chosen ossification over self-renewal. A view that resonates among our Arab neighbours who no longer seem to view the Egyptian political elite as a horse worth betting on.

All of which amounts to a tragedy of monumental proportions. For it so happens that the region is suffering from a huge political vacuum. The world's sole super power is up to its knees in a regional quagmire. It needs little imagination, one would have thought, to come to the conclusion that a nation of Egypt's weight could, and should, have a great and historic role to play. Such a role, however, requires vision and imagination, innovative ideas and bold plans.

These, sadly, remain in very short supply.

This week's Soapbox speaker is managing editor of Al-Siyassa Al-Dawliya (International Politics) quarterly, issued by Al- Ahram.