There is an Egyptian maxim describing the approach to administering power long employed here and elsewhere: ‘if you starve them they’ll eat you, fill them they’ll kill you, keep them half hungry, they’ll leave you alone.’ It’s a solid strategy in rigid hierarchical societies like Egypt’s, but it fails when insular leadership can no longer gauge the people’s reality, and consequently goes too far. Lucky for them there’s a back-up plan, another tried and true technique called ‘divide and rule’. The regime has set it in motion and it is working all too well.
Used to great effect in the US of A.
But I wonder if in Egypt and the rest of the Middle East divide and conquer will eventually fail because of the global economic crises the US of A set into motion. At least here (as of now) we are able to keep our people half hungry. I'm not sure leaner economies can manage to keep from starving their people. It may still work to divide, but it will be much harder to conquer when a starving mass of ravenous, desparate people storm the Bastille.
....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.
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