1. Why has the economy decreased in Egypt?
The economic downturn of Egypt attributes greatly to the ongoing Arab Spring protests, which first emerged in 2011 following the deposition of longtime president Hosni Mubarak. Having first gained power over Egypt in 1981, Mubarak has introduced a series of economic policies that eventually deprived feasible opportunities for Egyptians, in turn driving many of them towards poverty. Soon thereafter, lack of economic opportunities have led the Egyptian government with little sources of revenue, which would have been instrumental for the introduction of social services for aiding people against poverty.
2. Why do the Egyptian people dislike their President?
The deposal of Mubarak from the presidency has further increased cynicism among Egyptians; any failure on succeeding administrations has the potential to prompt them to take matters into the streets, fuelled by their newfound freedom borne out of breaking the suppression institutionalized by Mubarak and his long stay in power. Verily, Egyptians have yet to regain trust and hope towards any upcoming administration that succeeded that of Mubarak. Mohammed Morsi, the direct successor of Mubarak, failed to present himself as a favorable exemplar to cynical Egyptians. When news of plans of the Mubarak administration to install military rule came out, Egyptians immediately went out of the streets to protest for the ouster of Mubarak. Such lack of trust on the part of Egyptians is inevitable due to the destructive effects brought forth by the Mubarak administration. Unless a highly successful government takes over Egypt, Egyptians will perhaps remain cynical and rebellious, hence prolonging the Arab Spring and its significant effects on poverty in the nation.
3. What caused the Civil War & Arab Spring? How did this lead to increased child labor in Egypt?
Discontent over the rule of Mubarak and cynicism over the brief government of Morsi started and prolonged, respectively, the Civil War and the subsequent Arab Spring. The increased vulnerability of Egyptians due to poverty and inaction on the side of the government has prompted manufacturers and employers to look into child labor as an affordable replacement for conventional labor. The idea of maintaining favorable production levels amidst the downtrodden state of the Egyptian economy has urged employers to exploit children, in turn being vulnerable due to poverty.
References
Khatab, Khaleb. "The Arab Spring: Where is Egypt Now?” Significance 9.1 (2012): 32-34. Print.
Kuhn, Randall. "On the Role of Human Development in the Arab Spring.” Population and Development Review 38.4 (2012): 649-683. Print.
