External: What ever happened to Egypt? | Porkins Policy Review Talk

I've enjoyed Pearse Redmonds work on Porkins Policy Radio/Review for a while now- a radio show/podcast that covers many topics, but mostly the influence of intelligence services on the media and media narratives.

Imagine, then, the pleasure of being invited to converse for a couple of hours on a Tuesday night in Berlin and New York about Egypt, parallels in media and unofficial policies to the current situation in the US.

He describes our conversation thus:

"

Today I am joined by friend of the show Caram Kapp. Caram was last on episode 42 The Homeland Hackers, and returns to discuss the Egyptian uprising six years later. We start off by discussing the basics of the uprising and some of the behind the scenes actors. Caram explains his own experiences as an Egyptian, and as someone who was there on the ground around this time. We touch on the rumors of Western manipulation and how some of these allegations have overshadowed the real life grievances of the Egyptian populace and their reasons for wanting to get rid of Mubarak. Caram and I then move onto the two most important actors of the revolution (The Muslim Brotherhood and the Army) and how they became the ultimate arbiters of the revolution. Caram talks about his time in Cairo just after Brotherhood leader Muhammad Morsi was elected. Caram describes the parallels between Morsi and his brief tenure as president to that of Donald Trump. We talk about similarities in both personality and demeanor, as well as the ways in which Morsi represented “change” and ran on a campaign of making “Egypt Great Again.” Caram and I also discuss the notion that Morsi or those around him were well aware of the realities and influence of the Egyptian military, and understood that they may have been used as a stopgap to put the military back in place.

We expand on this more in the second hour exploring other parallels between Trump, Morsi, and current Egyptian President al-Sisi. Caram and I look at the ways in which al-Sisi and Trump have managed to normalize the military and the police, even when engaging in extreme behavior. Later Caram and I look at some of the recent geopolitical developments in Egypt and how they mirror actions here in the US. We look at the escalating tensions between Sudan and Egypt over the contested Halayeb Triangle and how this mimics Trump’s rhetoric against Mexico. Caram and I also discuss the current state of Egyptian media which like the revolution has returned right back to where it started. Caram and I finish off by looking at where Egypt may be headed and why it has lost influence within the Arab world, and has become one of the forgotten aspects of the Arab Spring.

The conversation can be found in full here: https://porkinspolicyreview.com/2017/05/17/porkins-policy-radio-episode-93-what-ever-happened-to-egypt-with-caram-kapp/https://porkinspolicyreview.com/2017/05/17/porkins-policy-radio-episode-93-what-ever-happened-to-egypt-with-caram-kapp/

IGAF: Utopia- Les Jours Meilleurs

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote this post, titled Dystopia , containing a dark version of the future, a look at the negative outcomes that might crawl out of the COVID-19 crisis. It has, by now been described as "9/11 in slow motion". Someone else broke a golden editorial rule to describe it as "2008 on crack". Media outlets, including Youtube, have warned of the long-term effects of this, on civil rights, labour and employment, surveillance and press freedom. And some, most notably Mr Orban of Hungary, have used this excellent opportunity to pass new, restrictive legislation that concentrates power in their hands. There have been calls for the elusive COVID cure not to be patented. And yet… And yet… It's easy to lose yourself in a media bubble, following the news and media 24/7, following, queuing in line to get into expensive shops, just walking into discount stores and the constant desire for many drinks (preferably with 10 friends or more, in a park...

IGAF: Disappearing the inconvenient.

This IGAF (Is Goodness a Fashion) series explores, from a non-expert point of view, the social, economic and narrative ramifications I see developing from the COVID-19 crisis, worries, but also hopes for a future that the current shock to the system may result in. It's a pity that random things happen when random people interact. That a person might be exposed to unexpected, or unpleasant sights when they leave the house. That we might see trash, homeless people, the effects of gentrification, closed stores in polluted streets, trees withered by mercurial weather, people in environmental suits, afraid of the diseases lurking within the safe confines of those suits. The world divided into those who have to face the streets, the Outside, and those who are safe Inside. It's a pity that these still interact. Our measure as a species that claims moral, ethical and intellectual hegemony over this planet will be two-fold as we deal with the COVID-19 crisis: On the one hand, socie...

IGAF: An ahistoric crisis?

One of the many reasons I have grown to appreciate interviews with Arundhati Roy over the last year of what I'm calling her book tour is that, in contrast with many speakers at conferences and interviewees, I never have the feeling she is trying to sell me something. She speaks in a calm, collected voice, full of knowledge, experience and occasional wisdom, without being desperately full of herself. One of my favourite sayings is, so far, goes something like "The most successful revolution was the secession of the rich onto a global planet, wherefrom they cannot see the poor. There is no more India, no more USA, no more Europe- there is planet Rich, then there is planet Poor, and both are global."* Carers at their limits- now more than ever. For €2400 and some chocolates? A month or so into what may be a new normal, my life is still pleasant- with some adjustment, I am, so far, privileged in this absence of change and an ability to follow the crisis as I would fol...

Caramblogage

Search This Blog