journalist and writer neil clark neal many thanks indeed very few. you arses sliding ever closer toward has become known as the fiscal cliff was broke obama hosting another last minute emergency meeting later today for weeks the republicans and democrats have been trying to reach a deal on the how to reduce the national deficit and if they don't billions of dollars in tax hikes and spending cuts automatically take effect on train or at a fast activists and journalists don de bar says it's not the deadlock that the that bothers him but what has already been agreed. the real problem in my eyes is not the fact that they can't reach an agreement but rather that they have reached an agreement on many fundamental things the grievance they have reached is that neither of them are going to advocate put more money in the hands of working people they have no problem whatsoever removing a trillion dollars or two trillion dollars from the economy and delivering it to the bankers they did that inside of twenty days back in two thousand and eight and again in two

drafted a new constitution cementing elements of sharia law was officially approved in a referendum neil clark a world affairs contributor for britain's guardian newspaper explained why he thinks morsi is going after the opposition i. think he wants to sort of deflect attention from the economy because the underlying problem plate the biggest we're facing is the economic crisis one of four egyptians are without jobs poverty is on the right and the subsidies on fuel which means that the prices of gas and electricity are going to rocket and so this is a kind of sort of smokescreen and he was very keen to get the opposition tied up in the sort of legal challenges to sort of stop them from focusing on opposing him on the issues where he's very weak and i think also he'd be worried that you know a sizable minority thirty six over thirty six percent of people voted against the constitution and the fact seems to be that he is on the wane. and i think that obviously you know i think we can see more protests in the new year. forget anonymity there is one place you need id to use the internet and that's

based journalist and writer neil clark. i think more she's made a big mistake he you know he may have thought that basically people were bricks gone and therefore he had a bit of leeway but no the underlying problems that corruption that approached with the policies of mubarak out you know that people want to clean great with these policies they wanted radical change not cosmetic change not really a change of leader at the top carrying on with the same economic policies the same social policies etc they wanted a real radical change they're not getting that and so it's really at a crucial stage now where he's got to listen to the people egypt has occurred before that had a lot of temporary however they got down the years way governments have said that it was an attempt to base of these ended up last in a very really long time of the mubarak prince and so i think there is that sort of fear among egyptians that what they're getting is a new pharaoh as i said they want they wanted more democracy back in twenty eleven but they a

islamists drafted a document in shrines that sharia law and only got a yes vote because of fraud neil clark a world affairs contributor for britain's guardian newspaper explained to us why morsi doesn't feel secure even after winning the referendum. i think he wants to sort of deflect attention from the economy because the underlying problem paint the biggest we're facing egypt is the economic crisis one of four egyptians are without jobs poverty is on the rise and the subsidies on fuel which means that the prices of gas and the city are going to rocket and so this is a kind of a sort of smokescreen for him and he i think each breaking to get tied up in these the legal challenges to sort of stop them from focusing on opposing him on the issues where he's he's very weak and i think also he be worried that you know a sizable minority thirty six over thirty six percent of people voted against the constitution and that seems to be that that he said is on the way. and i think that obviously you know i think we can see more protests in the new year. the end of the year in iran is being marked by

based journalist and writer neil clark i think more she's made a big mistake he you know he may have thought that basically people and you know bar immigrants gone and therefore have a bit of leeway but no the underlying problems that corruption that approached with the policies of mubarak you know that people want to cling great with these policies they wanted radical change not cosmetic change not merely an exchange of leader carrying on with the same economic policies the same social policies that second they wanted a real radical change they're not getting that and so it really is in a crucial stage now where he's got to listen to the people of egypt has been heard before that had not a temporary how is how they got down the years where governments just said they can't be basically saying you got lost in a very very long time argument our friends and so i think there is that sort of fear among egyptians that what they're getting is a new pharaoh and i said they want they wanted more democracy back in twenty eleven but they also wanted fundamental economic changes which haven't co

journalist neil clark says egyptians are also frustrated that life's only been getting harder for them since mubarak was ousted and that the new leader isn't doing enough. i think morse's made a big mistake he may have thought that basically people were anti mubarak and barak's gone and therefore he had a bit of leeway but no the underlying problems that corruption that the policies of mubarak you know that people want to cling great with these policies they wanted radical change not cosmetic change not merely a change of leader tot mom with the same economic policies the same social policies etc they wanted a real radical change they're not getting that and so it's really at a at a crucial stage now where he's got to listen to the people of egypt has heard this before that had a lot of temporary howlers what they got down the years where governments have said to do this on a temporary basis of these ended up lasting a very long time to mubarak once and so i think there is that sort of fear among egyptians that what they're getting is a new pharaoh as i said they want they wanted more

more of this story talk to neil clark he's a contributor for britain's guardian newspaper has been following developments in syria closely is live on the line from london hi neal of the opposition has received a huge boost of course fire international recognition does this strengthen their position in solidify their cause thereby i guess putting pressure on assad to open dialogue all not i don't think it does actually because i think actually this is a boucher christmas a sad because you know if you think about all the way lines charter said that the opposition really the tools the western powers negotiate so this sort of proves it and president assad is able to say he's a sort of trying to go syria as an independent sovereign nation i think this will actually vote to his support within the country and i think the basic problem that the rebels have got yes they've been recognized by the u.s. by grants by the basic problem however remains they don't have to deal with the six where it matters much within syria the syrian people don't respect for george it and don't support them back in septemb