Ahmed Zewail in the NYT: Egypt is strategically vital for the United States, because of the Suez Canal, its peace treaty with Israel and its cooperation with the American military and intelligence agencies. But most of the discussion about aid has focused on political leverage. America should instead think of aid in new, apolitical ways. The U.S. gives about $1.5 billion a year to Egypt and $3 billion to Israel; the former goes mainly for military equipment, while the latter is more of a partnership that includes not just military but also scientific and industrial cooperation. I call on Egypt’s leaders, of whatever religious or political persuasion, to insulate education and science from their feuds. I also call on great powers like the U.S. to support the development of human capital. The aid America gave Japan, South Korea and Taiwan after World War II, for example, enabled them to become economically vital. I remain optimistic about Egypt, whose people will no longer settle for the status quo of the past half-century. The question, one I cannot answer as a scientist, is what will replace it, and how long it will take. Egyptians are known for their patience, which derives, perhaps, from the eternity of the Nile. But their patience has run thin, and their aspirations are unmet. Any group hoping to authentically represent the hopes of the Egyptian people must make educational attainment and economic growth its priority.
Posted on: Mon, 14 Oct 2013 00:06:00 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015