So-called Egyptian capitalism

During the American campaigns running for presidential elections, the then-runner-now-president Donald Trump has revealed the role played by the American administration headed by Obama and Hilary Clinton in creating terrorism and supporting it… also, in dismantling and destroying whole nations, killing hundreds of thousands and displacing millions others… not to mention the devastating destruction that will drain all resources for reconstruction…

While I was watching Trump speaking, I asked those who were sitting with me, and we were on-air in a TV-show: “where are those who used to attack and accuse us of ignorance and lack of information when we used to speak and write about an American role in destroying our country and the whole region?... where are they now?... and will they feel ashamed or just continue to be arrogant and accuse Trump of ignorance and lack of information too?… and that he is a paranoid schizophrenic?... that illness that makes you believe there is a conspiracy woven against you…

I believe if Trump were able to prosecute Clinton for the charges he accused her of, those “Marines” writers and “strategic experts” would come up depicting the situation as if it’s nothing but illusions that have to do with the problems faced by the American administration.

In the same time, those so-called “strategic experts” are fierce defenders of the interests and stances of the so-called Egyptian Capitalism… I shall explain why I name it “so-called”...

This so-called Egyptian capitalism, along with some writers who work as servants for it, have always betted on the continuation of the American administration to adopt the same policy when Clinton wins presidency… and so, they were always sure they will not lose the sponsor and guide that makes them above law… that guide that provides them with protection which reminds us of what used to happen in Egypt during the British occupation when there were some Egyptians and foreigners who used to flout law once anyone criticize them…

Such so-called capitalism, along with its servants, used to abstain from providing any help or having real understanding with June 30 regime headed by president Sisi… because the American administration was against him and was in favor of muslim brotherhood and Islamist fundamentalists in power… such administration that also aimed at dismantling Egypt like they did in Iraq, Syria, Libya, Yemen and before them, Sudan.

I believe they betted on muslim brotherhood coming back in power, sooner or later, and so, they meant to fight the regime both economically and on the media level in order to precipitate their plans.

Now, after Clinton’s failure and with other different new scopes coming to the American policies, as per Trump’s statements, will this so-called Egyptian capitalism come to its senses and start behaving like a real capitalism like the case in other capitalisms in free world?

The Egyptian regime has started to apply a long-term economic reform plan… and looked like it doesn’t care if threatened by liberating exchange rate of dollar, floating the Egyptian pound and raising the prices of some goods… since the regime trusted the Egyptian people would accept the price paid for having a decent life, even if it was high… I even heard some saying: “we won’t compromise those, who paid their souls and blood for us, for a kilo of sugar or oil”… they meant the Egyptian army, police and president Sisi… here, we ask if this so-called capitalism and its servants will ever feel ashamed but it seems they do not… actually, they are only controlled by avarice, acquisition and unjustifiably-massive profits.

Then, we have to stand against those punch by starting enacting laws and taking measures so that this capitalism shall bear its share of the reform plan… and this shall be done by progressive taxation, halting the support delivered to this capitalism, whether direct or indirect… and also, exacting this capitalism for the past long years when it used to get whatever it wants for the least prices or even for free.

The Egyptian regime, on all levels, has become greatly indebted for the Egyptian people who haven’t hesitated to support June 30 and fund the New Suez Canal project when such so-called avaricious capitalism abstained from doing so… those people also stood to terrorism and paid their souls side by side to army and policemen… they also didn’t hesitate to pay the high price for the economic reform and to foil the muslim brotherhood inciting to chaos on November 11.

Now, it’s time the regime shall be fair and just in distributing the reform bill… I wish the authentic official entities would declare to people the exact fortunes of this so-called Egyptian capitalism and all their corruption in monopoly, smuggling and evading taxes… since transparency is now required on all levels, especially that concerning the nation’s rights.

It’s a so-called capitalism because it does not practice acts similar to those of the world capitalisms… such capitalisms that realize the necessity of social balance and contributing to bearing burdens in proportion with the amount of wealth… they also realize the necessity of building civilization and cultural bodies from their own money.

Translated into English by: Dalia Elnaggar

This article was published in Al-mosawar magazine, issue no. 4806 on November 16, 2016.

To see the original article, go to:

http://ahmadelgammal.blogspot.com.eg/2016/11/blog-post_16.html

#almosawar #ahmed_elgammal #Egyptian_capitalism #sisi #progressive_taxes #Egypt

Suggestion for Egyptian Capital

 No matter how well-elaborate the theoretical foundation of renaissance projects; whether economic, social or culture, in the coming period of time is, it will always stay great ideas written on paper unless they are applied on reality. I and many others who happened to be regular guests in events and lectures discussing problems facing our Egyptian reality have always faced a recurring question; how can we bring those ideas and solutions suggested into reality?

In this regard, I have always cited a piece of wisdom mentioned in the Bible; “Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?”, 1 Corinthians [5]. It points to the simple fact that a small piece of leaven can help produce big quantities of dough. The same applies to society where leaven could be those working in such projects and who regard their role as a divine message that should be delivered and fulfilled at its best. I also believe we can establish certain spots in the countryside, desert, and cities that can play the same role. This is my suggestion for Egyptian capitalists who look to employ their money in useful projects without squandering it over those whom we see like blood-sucking insects sticking to any project wasting its budget.

My suggestion is simple; allocate those money and efforts to establishing certain areas to first free them from poverty, ignorance, diseases, and all development-hindering traditions and customs dominating our society, and to help them stand against negativity and sectarianism to the rest of what we all know. Those places will work like the leaven that will spread its effect into other neighboring areas until the whole network of leaven-acting-like areas are connected; a village will turn into a district; the district will go bigger to be a governorate and so on until our country is free of all hindering us and keeping us in the back.

Moreover, there are places qualified for this pioneering role already. I will tell you about examples that took place long time ago in our country. In Monufia governorate for example, it was said that Abdel Aziz Pasha Fahmi[1] and other elite agriculture land owners were able to turn the governorate into the one with the highest percentage of educated people; almost zero percent of illiterate ones. They also managed to employ all those eligible for work to the extent that a true funny account circulated at that time. The account says one day an old woman went to Fahmi Pasha asking him for charity. The Pasha asked her if she was in possession of anything she might make use of to provide for her needs. She answered she had nothing but a poor donkey. The Pasha then asked her to bring the donkey and order this donkey be employed in the post office in carrying the post and postman as well. It was then said that the Pasha had hired the donkey!

At this point, I’d like to pay tribute to the leaven-like entity represented in al-Masaei al-Mashkura[2] community group that was established in Monufia governorate and went enlightening the villages and cities surrounding it providing proper education for tens of generations. I also remember my father – may he rest in peace – who worked in this community group as a teacher at the end of the forties and the beginning of the fifties in the twentieth century. There was also the knowledgeable firm honorable headmaster Mr. Salah el-Nahhas, father of Dr. Safwat el-Nahhas. I can also give you a whole list of leaven-acting-like entities like the Coptic Charity organization, Catholic, Armenian, Jesuit, Frères Missions’ chains and all their likes of community groups that have all helped establish an educational renaissance that unfortunately were not meant to expand.

Meantime, a city like al-Gouna in Red Sea governorate can be the leaven-acting-like place to spread modernization into the rest of the cities there like al-Qusayr, Ras Gharib, Marsa Alam, Hurghada, and Safaga. I believe al-Gouna can play such role for it has a university and an almost-typical infrastructure; I can later give you details of this as I finally visited al-Qusayr and found a crime committed there against history, monuments, and humans. I also found glimpses of hope to rise up again. There are many places in our beloved country that are qualified to play such role; I here mean all villages in Upper and Lower Egypt that was famous to work and specialize in certain kind of industries in the past like producing silk and linen cloth, weaving carpets and rugs, making wooden furniture, palm-foliage and mambo woven products, in addition to other industries. Specific examples are Akhmim, Qift, Aswan, Kotama village in Gharbiya governorate, Fuwwah village in Kafr esh-Sheikh governorate, Kerdasa in Giza governorate, and so on. Our hope is to make a real web – not virtual one like Twitter and Facebook – connecting all these pioneering leaven-acting-like places together just like the well-elaborate one woven by real spiders!

I believe if this idea is clear and applicable, then we shall wait for national Egyptian capitalists, those willing to serve their country, to signal the start of the places they chose to be the leaven-acting-like pioneering spots. Strength and success are just like weakness and failure; both sides are contagious and ready to spread. Now let us wait for our Egyptian Capitalism to take action and start taking steps. We, meanwhile, will do whatever it takes to help.

Translated into English by: Dalia Elnaggar

This article was published in Al Ahram newspaper on August 14, 2014.

To see the Arabic article, go to:

http://ahmadelgammal.blogspot.com.eg/2014/08/blog-post_14.html

#alahram #ahmed_elgammal #Egypt

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[1] Abdel Aziz Fahmi Pasha: (Arabic: عبد العزيز فهمي) born in Monufia governorae in December 23, 1870 and died on 1870. Abdel Aziz Pasha Fahmi was an Egyptian judge, politician, poet, and a pioneering figure of the Egyptian national movement in the first third of the twentieth century. (Source: Wikipedia)

[2] المساعي المشكورة