FromfissiontoPharaoh?从核武到政权Dec17th2009|CAIROFromTheEconomistprinteditionEgyptianreformerssuggestapossiblepresident埃及的改革者建议的未来总统GettyImagesPlantingabombunderEgyptianpolitics在埃及的政治舞台埋下炸弹WHENMohamedElBaradeiwontheNobelpeaceprizein2005,Egyptianshappilyproclaimedhimanationalhero.Butnowthathehasretiredafter12yearsasheadoftheInternationalAtomicEnergyAgency,theUN’snuclearwatchdog,somearecallinghimavillain.HemaybeanAmericanorevenanIranianagent,hinteditorialsinEgypt’sstate-ownedpress.Hebearsanastygrudgeagainsthisnativecountryaftersolongabroad,grumbleothergovernmentmouthpieces.当穆罕默德•巴拉迪在2005年获得诺贝尔和平奖时,埃及人兴奋的称他为国家英雄。但现在,当他从工作了十二年的国际原子能机构(联合国核武器监察机构)总干事职务上退休时,有些人却称呼他恶棍。埃及的国有新闻机构发表社论,暗指他可能是美国甚至是伊朗的间谍。在国外多年之后,他对自己的祖国怀有恶毒的怨恨,抱怨其他的政府官员。Thereasonforthissuddenspateofspuriousinsinuation?Respondingtopleasfromreform-mindedEgyptiansdespairingoflocalpolitics,MrElBaradeihassuggestedhemayreturntoEgyptandrunforpresidentinelectionsduein2011.Worseyet,hehasdeignedtoproposeconditionsforhispossiblecandidacy.Thepoll,hesays,mustmeetinternationallyacceptedstandards.突然爆发的这些恶意指责,原因是什么呢?巴拉迪先生响应了埃及国内那些绝望的改革派的呼吁,承认他可能会返回埃及,参与2011年的总统选举。更糟糕的是,他为他的参选提出了条件,他说,投票选举必须符合国际通行的准则。Forsoprominentacitizentotosshishatintotheringwouldcausescarcelyashrugelsewhere.InEgypt,wherefivedecadesunderasinglepartyandalmostthreeunderitspresentleader,PresidentHosniMubarak,havesmotheredallbutapretenceofdemocracy,ithasraisedabigcloudofdust.ThenotionofMrElBaradei’scandidacybringsafrissonofunpredictabilitytowhatEgyptianshadassumedwouldbeascriptedoutcome,givingeitherasixthsix-yeartermtoMrMubarak,now81,orawinforhisson,Gamal,whosteerspolicyintherulingNationalDemocraticParty(NDP).对于一个如此名声显赫的公民参与选举,在别的地方可能并不能算是什么。但在埃及却能搅起风暴。这个国家在过去的五十年里一直被同一个政党统治,现任总统胡斯尼•穆巴拉克的统治几乎就占了三十年,民主已经成为虚假的表象。埃及人本以为选举的结果已经确定,要么是给已经81岁的穆巴拉克第六个六年任期,要么就是他的儿子贾迈勒当选,目前他已经开始掌控民族民主党(NDP)。但巴拉迪参选的打算给这次选举带来了变数。MoreannoyinglyforEgypt’srulers,MrElBaradei’sdeclarationofconditionshascastunwontedlightonthecraftyconstitutionalmechanicsthatallowthestage-managingofEgypt’ssupposeddemocracy.Eventobecomealegalindependentcandidate,forinstance,MrElBaradeiwouldneedtocollect250signaturesfromarangeof“elected”officials,allofwhomhappentositinbodiesmassivelydominatedbytheNDP.令埃及统治者更加感到恼怒的是巴拉迪所宣称的选举条件,因为这将引起大众对宪法的关注,而在现有的宪法,在机制上可巧妙地确保对埃及所宣称的民主选举进行某种暗箱操作。例如,为了成为一个合法的独立候选人,巴拉迪需要在选举的官员中收集到250签名推荐,而这些官员却大多属于统治党民族民主党(NDP)。PerhapsnotevenMrElBaradeihimselfexpectsthathemaybeallowedtobecomeaseriouschallenger.YetsuchisthedepthoffrustrationwithEgypt’sstagnantpoliticsandmanysocialills,particularlyamongthegenerationthathasknownnoruleexceptMrMubarak’s,thateventhisdistanthopehasstirredpassions.Surprisingly,consideringthathehasspentmostofthepast40yearsoutsideEgypt,andrarelypronouncedonitstroubles,some21,000enthusiastshavesignedontoaFacebooksupportgroup.PerhapstheirsisthevoiceofEgypt’sfuture.或许即使巴拉迪自己也没有奢望自己会被允许成为一个正式的挑战者。然而正是这种埃及国内沉闷的政治环境和社会问题,特别是那些在穆巴拉克统治下成长起来的一代人中,缥缈的希望也给人们带来了巨大的激情。因此,即使巴拉迪在过去的40年中大部时间都在国外度过,也很少讨论埃及所面临的问题,却仍然有21,000热烈支持者签名加入在Facebook网站的支持群组。或许他们代表了埃及未来的呼声。Animperfectstorm一场不完美的风暴Nov13th2009FromTheWorldin2010printeditionBySimonCox,DELHIThankspartlytothemonsoon,manufacturingwillovertakeagricultureforthefirsttimeinIndia一定程度上得归功于季风气候,印度的制造业总值将首次超越农业。FromthevillageofVijayPuraintheIndianstateofRajasthan,theglobalfinancialcrisisseemsremote.Thedownturnissomethingpeopleherereadaboutinthenewspapers,accordingtoDhannaSingh,amemberoftheMazdoorKisanShaktiSangathan(MKSS),aunionofactivistsandfarmers.Thevillageshavewelcomedbackmigrantworkersfromneighbouringstates,wherepeoplenolongerfindworktwistingsteelinMumbaiorpolishingdiamondsinSurat.But,byandlarge,India’sruralpoorwereprotectedfromthecrisisbythesamethingsthatmakethempoor.Ifyouneverhadsecureemploymentormanyfinancialassets,youcannotlosethemtothecrisis.对于印度拉贾斯坦邦维杰.普拉村来说,全球性金融危机似乎很遥远。根据德哈那.辛格,一名积极分子与农场主联合会MKSS成员的说法,经济低迷只是这里的人们从报纸上读到的谈资而已。很多移民工人从邻国返回到这里,因为他们在那儿找不到工作,既不能在孟买扭钢筋,也不能在苏拉特磨钻石。总的来说,印度贫困地区的人民因其贫困而免受经济危机的影响,因为,既然没有可靠就业和大量的财务资产,也就不会在经济危机中丧失。InRajasthan,thisresilienceisalsotheresultofgovernmentpolicy.TheNationalRuralEmploymentGuaranteeAct(NREGA),extendedtoeveryruraldistrictinApril2008,issupposedtooffer100daysofworkayear,attheminimumwage,toeveryruralhouseholdthatneedsit.Rajasthan,aparchedstatewithalonghistoryofdrought-reliefworks,comesclosertofulfillingthatpromisethananywhereelse,providing68daysofworkonaverageintheyeartoMarch2008,accordingtoasurveypublishedinFrontline,anIndiannewsweekly.VijayPuraiscross-hatchedwithhard-packedroadsbuiltbypeopleontheact’spayroll.Thankstotheroll-outoftheNREGAandahikeintheminimumwage,“Peopleherearefeelingasenseofsecurityforthefirsttime,”saysShankarSinghoftheMKSS.在拉贾斯坦邦,这次经济反弹也是政府政策的产物。2008年四月全国农村地区就业保证法案扩展到了每一个农村地区,在最低工资下有望在一年里提供100天的工作时间给每一个需要的家庭。发表在印度的一家新闻周刊《前线》的调查显示,从今年到2008年三月,拉贾斯坦邦这个有着悠久抗旱历史的的“旱邦”将提供平均68天的工作时间,相对其他地方离兑现承诺更近了。维杰.普拉位于几条硬化路的交叉点上,这些路是就业保证法案覆盖到的雇员修建的。幸亏有该法案的出台及最低工资水平的提高,“这里的人们第一次有了一种安全感,”MKSS的成员香卡.辛格说。ThestrengthofruraldemandisonereasonwhyIndiaescapedfromthecrisissolightly.Salesofmany“fast-moving”consumergoods,suchasshampooandtoothpaste,arenowgrowingfa