The revolution in Egypt was about a demand for democracy and resistance to repression -- but it was also spurred in part by legions of angry young people who have no economic opportunity. And since the dramatic inequalities in Egypt were a factor in a stunning popular uprising, it's worth noting an interesting fact:
Things are even worse here. According to Richard Eskow at the Campaign for America's Future:
Here's the reality: Income inequality is actually greater in the United States than it is in Egypt. Politicians here have close financial ties to big corporations, both personally and through their campaigns. Corporate lawbreakers often do go unpunished. Poverty and unemployment statistics for US minorities are surprisingly similar to Egypt's.
Now, I'm not saying that poverty in the U.S. is worse than Egyptian poverty -- the poor in Cairo are way worse off than the poor in New York or San Francisco. But when you compare the two countries, you get some disturbing similarities:
19.6% of Egyptians and 14.5% of Americans live below the poverty line. 21% of Egyptians are considered "near poor," and 40% of Americans will fall below the poverty line at some point in their lives. One in six American children lives in poverty. So do one in four African Americans, which means the poverty rate for African Americans is greater than it is for Egyptians.
So why aren't we out marching in the streets and demanding change? (Oh, wait, we did that two years ago, when we elected President Obama.)