#20 How the West fueled corruption in Egypt - Dr. Sarah Smierciak

From Cairo Podcast

Watch the show on YouTube: https://youtu.be/wHWQd5bk9Q8

Dr. Sarah Smierciak is a Cairo-based political economist. Her new book, Cronyism and Elite Capture in Egypt: From Businessmen Cabinet to Military Inc, explores how elite businessmen in Mubarak's Egypt exploited western funding like USAID to grow their empires at the expense of the poor. The book raises a critical question: did western financing make cronyism and inequality worse?

Smierciak's research focuses on the effects of globalization and neoliberal economic policies on the Middle East.

Check out Dr. Smericiak's book: (https://cutt.ly/nGKcFnk).

Dr. Smierciak completed a DPhil in Middle East Studies and MPhil in International Development at the University of Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship, after studying history and Middle East studies at Northwestern University. She spent 2016-2017 in Turkey on a Fulbright Fellowship where she worked with Syrian and Iraqi communities in Istanbul.

Contact: [e-mail] https://www.sarahsmierciak.com

TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) - Intro

(03:20)- USAID & neoliberal elite friends in Egypt

(09:03) - The IMC (Industrial Modernization Centre)

(24:20)- Neoliberal reforms lead to inequality

(32:20) - The QIZ (Qualifying Industrial Zones)

(47:18) - Why is the IMF pretending Egypt is a success story?

(51:25) - Egypt is the perfect example for why macroeconomic indicators don't work.

(53:53) - Why the hell are we celebrating debt?? The problem with T-bills

(59:54) - Empty neoliberal rhetoric (PPPs, sustainability, etc)

(01:02:52) - Who benefits from trade agreements? Hint: Not us

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