Egyptians still in search of political messiah
Despite their hopes, Egyptians will not find a leader with the power to effect the deep structural reform Egypt needs to move forward.
It’s apparent that many Egyptians have become disillusioned with the revolution. They see the path set out by young activists — the revolutionaries — as a failed plan to which they must find an alternative.
There is no denying that state propaganda has been efficiently painting the Muslim Brotherhood as the only real enemy, revolutionaries as traitors and the military as the only entity capable of functioning efficiently, but knowing that is not enough. The main reason why Egyptians have become disenchanted is because they were truly looking for a savior to get them out of the current mess.
The revolution in 2011 promised to fill that role, but it was never strong enough to overpower the subsequent Islamist-military alliance that opposed it. Following that, the Muslim Brotherhood promised salvation from military-dominated rule and something closer to social justice through its hyped renaissance project. People voted in the Muslim Brotherhood only to find out that the project was nothing more than a manipulation strategy and that the Brotherhood did not seek change in the order of things so much as it wanted to gain favor.
The Muslim Brotherhood’s failure reignited Egypt’s dream of a savior. Promptly, the military stepped in once again, this time fully prepared to give the people what they wanted: promises, flattery and a spectacle. Promises of a savior figure drew people once again to the shiny brass of the military. People discarded the Muslim Brotherhood for its mismanagement and the revolution for its weakness.
