Recent chaos in Egypt has left Western leaders at a loss. But, Egypt’s neighbors are using it to gain influence in the region. “Saudi Arabia was one of the first countries to congratulate Egypt after its army ousted President Mohammed Mursi and dissolved the Islamist-made constitution.

Acceleration is part of modern life. “The process of mechanical acceleration began in the 19th century in conjunction with industrialization” and was intended to “create more available time for the individual” by shortening the amount of time needed to accomplish tasks (Der Spiegel, July 4, 2013).