The Huffington Post

Today, more than 16 months after Mubarak was ousted from power in a bloody popular uprising, Egyptians find themselves living under an even more tyrannical and authoritarian military dictatorship.

Egyptians from all walks of life have marched to Tahrir Square, and across the country, since January, protesting Mubarak’s decades-long repressive rule, demanding dignity and the right to self-determination. But it was primarily the youth who mobilized and maintained enough pressure on Mubarak’s regime to make these new presidential elections possible.

Still, somehow their youthful zeal is all but missing from Egypt’s political landscape. Instead, Egyptians were left with a polarizing and pathetic choice in the recent presidential run-off. They could support the Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohamed Morsi, who is 60 or the old guard’s Ahmed Shafiq, who is 70 and served as Prime Minister during some of the most violent clashes between pro-democracy protesters and government forces.

Many of my young friends in Egypt voted for neither, and instead took the opportunity to voice their grievances by writing on their ballots using insults and vulgarities.

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Ahmed Shihab-Eldin: WTF Happened to Egypt’s Revolution?

Ahmed will be hosting a live discussion about Egypt today at 4 p.m. ET. If you have a strong opinion and want to join in, please email emily.bina@huffingtonpost.com with your opinion or any questions.