Middle East Political Economy

The book is a political-economic analysis of the recently ousted regime of Mubarak in Egypt who held the mantle of leadership in the country until 2011 when there was a mass uprising. Both Max Weber and Karl Marx and strongly focused on the utilization of state finances to inform the author central point of argument. In the book, the authors show a distinction between a regime and a state, showing how political authoritarianism can end up weakening a state. The main point of discussion as presented in The Autumn of Dictatorship- Fiscal Crisis and Political Change under Mubarak by Samer Soliman is a political and economic dictatorship that was present in Egypt. The author takes time to draw a comparison between the information he had on western financial management data and what was actually happening in Egypt courtesy of the country balance sheet. The intention of the author in this book is largely to show the chronic fiscal issues that had plagued Egypt all the way from 1980s. His thesis is thus persuasive and simple and to a large extent show that even Western scholars are likely to gain from Arab scholarship.

The book has three main chapters, which include; The Presidency and Succession; the People and Social Justice; and Free Speech and State Repression. In chapter one, the author uses lots of creativity to show how the institution of the presidency was abusing its powers. Although the author does not mention Mubarak by name, it is clear from this point that he is referring to the Mubarak regime. When discussing the chapter on people and justice, Aswany comes out strongly to condemn acts of hypocrisy. He instead defends the rights of minorities in Egypt and those of women because they had suffered discrimination in the past. The last chapter discusses the Arab Spring and issues to do with possible rebellion from the Egyptians especially businessmen and the educated. The author is however keen on discouraging Islamist extremists from disputing the thought that Islam was the answer to the challenges the country was facing. The author notes that it is only true reformers; secular or Muslims who can spearhead revolutions that are sustainable.

In this book, the author highly relies on primary data as well as secondary information gathered from various sources. For instance, he develops from Weber and Marx's theories in explaining the relationship between economic management and politics. All sources used are credible and largely offer accurate information.

The argument raised by the author in the book is no doubt convincing as he thoroughly explains why the Egypt regime was a success but ended up as a failed state. Inputting his case forward, the author gives the readers a chance to look at the Egyptian regime from an angle of its deeds as opposed to its discourse. He carefully and successfully shows the relationship that exists between politics and financial changes in the country. This he illustrates by showing how the country stayed noncommittal to providing better social services to its citizens; yet, the regime demanded more and more tax revenue.

Examples of inflated security mechanisms for the regime, fewer employment opportunities, and poor social services are given to illustrate the situation and make the argument stronger. Ultimately, the argument presented by the author is convincing especially because much of what he predicted came to be. People advocated for a change in regime to the extent of overthrowing their president. The economy was, in fact, unable to sustain itself and cause any reasonable capital growth.

After carefully reading the book, several questions get to the mind of the reader that needs answers. One may wonder just how the Mubarak regime, with all its inadequacies, managed to hold the Egyptian economy and control the economy of the entire country. Additionally, the relationship between public finance, social issues, and politics also come into question. The time frame that takes to have this relationship actualized is also a question that the author did not clearly bring out.

It is however clear that the poor management of public finances to a big extent changed the social-economic well-being of the country, a situation that by an extension lead to political changes. One of the points that appear problematic is the way the Mubarak regime sort of got into an agreement with businessmen and the working class to offer more powers to the country’s capitalists. One may feel that it took the people of Egypt just too long to resent and rebel against the Mubarak regime of poor financial management.

The book is clear and to the point. It is a great read not just for economists but also for individuals interested in financial management and politics. The author has used a combination of stylistic devices including imagery and homier to make his point clear. He carefully traces the history of authoritarian leadership and its application in the extraction and allocation of economic resources.

In a rather systematic manner, the author shows the possible consequences of poor management of public finances including fostering a capitalist economy. This book is no doubt a great contribution to the existing literature on politics and economic control. In conclusion, the book is a perfect example of work well done plus widely researched and properly documented.

Work cited

Samer, Soliman. The Autumn of Dictatorship- Fiscal Crisis and Political Change underMubarak. New York: Free Press, 2011. Print.