In Indonesia our President is not happy that our Defense Minister plan to spend money on foreign defense equipment in the middle of an economic crisis. I am happy Indonesia still has a rational leader. Egyptian under undemocratic rule also show less criticism from their media over their government spending policy.
I dont think Egypt need to spend much on defense, particularly for imported equipment. Israel dont have any ambition anymore to invade Egypt after Camp David agreement. Better spend on Egyptian own industry and R&D. Anyway, Egypt is already quite powerful.
Brother , you cannot compare the political/ Economical/Geographical situations from different territories of the world to each other ..... I.e. cannot compare ME with Eastern Asia ...
you cannot compare the response of Egyptians to cutting parts of their lands like what happened in Indonesia ( Eastern Timor) or Malaysia ( Singapore) to the response of Indonesians and Malaysians ...!
Also, just 17 years ago you had undemocratic rule and you had your revolution , but the difference here in ME ... is that there are international ( USA,Russia , France ) and Regional ( Israel, Iran ,Turkey) .... interferes in those normal political rise and trying to direct it to their benefits .... that leads to clash and destruction ..... you cannot ask Egyptians for democracy while they are seeing the revolutions failure in Syria,Iraq,Libya and Yemen ..... we would rather have an autocratic leader for a while more than being destroyed like our brothers in Arab spring countries.
Democracy is not the ultimate goal for human beings ... the ultimate goal is prosperity, dignity and live without fear .
and if you need the truth, you can search more about what is really happening in Egypt... economically and social life .... that’s why the main stream Egyptians are now accepting Elsisi .
Regarding R&D and industries .... you are fully right in that .... and there are some efforts is going on through the last 4 years ...
About spending money on Military equipments and industry .... just 5 years ago , there was a serious criticism against that expending spree on Military modernization .... but now , while Egyptians are seeing the danger coming from :
- North ( EEZ and Gas discoveries that worth 200 B USD ) and the tension in the Mediterranean.
- West Turkish invasion to Libya & sending Syrian Mercenaries / Terrorists to the Egyptian boarders.
- South .. ( Turmoils in Sudan and the Ethiopian dam ) + Yemen and threatening the International trade waterways to Suez Canal .
- East Iranian threats to allied gulf states .
Now, no Egyptian is asking why spending so much money on weapons ....! Even they started to ask for more domestic military production + buying with TOT to spread the weapons delivery .... what ever is the cost ...!
Egyptians feeling the danger and the mode started to accept that the war is coming either in the west to stop The Turkish backed Terrorists from infiltrating to Egypt or the south over the dam of Ethiopia.