“President Sisi’s Worldview” is an analysis of Sisi’s administrative future by a former senior official at the U.S. embassy in Cairo. Sievers claims that Sisi’s priority is Egypt’s economy, while also cracking down of issues of political dissent, especially among youth activists. Sisi is trying to accumulate power by repressing alternative ideas, stabilizing the economy, and building a reputation as a strong state leader. Because Sisi favors high militarization in order to achieve these goals, he can be considered a political realist.
“The Unlikely Young Cosmopolitans of Cairo” showcases the culture of the Egyptian youth in urban centers like Cairo. Elsayed mostly identifies the lower middle class youth of Cairo as embodying cosmopolitan ideas like embracing global influences. Elsayed also describes cosmopolitanism as creating internal heterogeneity rather than viewing globalization as a homogenizing force. Residents like those in the lower middle class of Cairo are suffering the most because of their high value on education but failure to secure adequate jobs because of a lack of business connections.
The two worldviews of political realism and cosmopolitanism held by President Sisi and the Egyptian youth activists, respectively, may be able to exist in harmony if both parties are willing to compromise. However, because of President Sisi’s efforts to shut out the youth rather than embrace their innovative ideas, he is risking a loss of much needed political power. Although Sisi wants to stabilize the economy and bring growth to Egypt’s business sector, he is neglecting to accept alternative ideas, mainly held by the Egyptian youth. Because Sisi is grasping onto his power so tightly, he may end up losing it all by not compromising with other viewpoints. Sisi’s priorities of a strong state with a powerful military cannot be achieved without the youth’s support.
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