Ze uber-intellectuals

I love the term of "the uber-intellectuals", as coined by our Mindbleed. (What would you expect of a group that refers to themselves as the intellectual class or النخبة المثقفة ?)

Baheyya gives us an enlightening roundup of our uber-intellectuals in the press. Where to find them, you may wonder?...

Well, here you go: In the official Nasserist party's Al-Arabi Al-Nasseri, or as I personally prefer to call them; العربجى الناصرى , and the other breakaway Nasserist paper of Al Karama, and finally, last but not least; the pseudo leftist El Dostour, which, like the rest of the Egyptian left, hasn't quite left the warm yoke of the mess of political and ideological balderdash masquerading under the name of "Nasserism".

As in her usual referrals to Sadat, Baheyya says:

"But societal forces did not mount a serious challenge to the president's prerogative of defining national security until Sadat's 1977 visit to Israel and address before the Knesset, when almost all organised sectors of Egyptian society rose up against Sadat's sudden, unilateral, and enthusiastic overture to the Americans and Israelis."

Oh reeally?...

Well here is a photo of how upset the Egyptians were with Sadat and Nixon when he arrived in Cairo in 1974:



And here's another one:



And another one:



And another:



And these are delegations of support in the presidential palace after Camp David:



In fact, Egyptians were so excited about the upcoming prospect of peace, that they once even chanted for Begin:

"Anwar Sadat returned to Cairo elated, feeling that he had broken the back of the conflict with Israel, was bringing peace to the whole Arab world and establishing a special warm relationship with Jimmy Carter and, through him, with the American people.

Though at times, he had been angered by Begin's 'intransigence', Sadat appeared not to bear any grudges. He still saw Begin as a strong and honest man who was concerned for his small country's security but was yet prepared to make peace with the largest Arab state.

Among the ordinary people in Cairo there was a momentary return to euphoria and wonder that had characterised their behaviour immediately after Sadat's departure for Jerusalem. There were well-authenticated reports of enthusiastic taxi-drivers offering free rides to Israeli visitors, as a gesture of the new-found friendship. These offers were rarely accepted, as even a cursory look at the old and appallingly maintained taxis revealed that the drivers were in no position to lose any of their earnings. However, the gestures were appreciated.

Equally, if not more, remarkable, was the incident outside the impressive synangogue in Adly Pasha Street in Cairo, witnessed by the present writer. As members of an Israeli delegation for talks with the Egyptians were attending a service at the synagogue a large crowd assembled outside. Those in the synagogue were startled to hear a loud noise. They exchanged startled looks. Was the crowd becoming hostile and was this noise the beginning of a pogrom? The Israeli delegates and their Egyptian-Jewish hosts went outside to find out exactly what was happening. To their utter astonishment they heard the words 'Begin! Begin!' chanted in unison. The crowd, believing that the Israeli Premier was in the synagogue, were trying to greet him. So enthusiastic did the crowd become, clapping and laughing, that the police, fearing an incident, dispersed them without using any force." - from "Anwar Sadat: Visionary Who Dared", by Joseph Finklestone.

Or forget all this. Suppose it's only my word (or these pictures, and pictures, of Egyptians, and eyewitness accounts - you know, because these can all be tricks of the evil, peace-loving Sadat and, of course, don't forget the Jooz...) against Baheyya's.

We are left with one of two conclusions; 1) either this material evidence is true, or 2) the Egyptians' real reaction was: "Screw this, dude! 6 wars in 25 years is not enough...we want more!!", and they gathered in these masses not to greet Nixon like a hero, but to spit on him for Watergate. (The enthusiastic smiles on their faces do not indicate anything; Sadat was a shrewd master of Photoshop.)

And besides this, when we leave the poor ignorant and misguided masses, and elevate into the realm of the sweet intelligencia, I value the opinions of two literary giants like Tawfik el-Hakim and Naguib Mahfouz, who supported Sadat in the peace, over multitudes of the brainwashed youth-squad generation of doublethink; our friends, the crusaders against the peace.

I find it very funny that the populist uber-intellectuals have their heads stuck so far up their own asses, that they have absolutely no idea what the populace is all about.