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> The success of the Public Culture program is subject to debate Having watched YouTube videos of the Egyptian Armed Forces Symphonic Band mangling various nat
by vintermann 5y ago
> The success of the Public Culture program is subject to debate
Having watched YouTube videos of the Egyptian Armed Forces Symphonic Band mangling various national anthems, I would certainly debate its long term effects.
Seriously though. Those videos made me wonder, how much is corruption at play there, and in this question as well? Were they really all that concerned about the cultural decay of the nation, or was it maybe about an opportunity for bribes? If garage musicians really made a lot of money from audio cassettes, wouldn't some have seen that as an untapped opportunity to extract bribes?
- jhpaul 5y agoBased on my limited experience with pre-revolution Egypt, the answer would be both. A large part of society was tip/bribe based, tourism in particular, and corruption or incompetence is pretty common. The political leadership was also elitist and formed in the image of the British colonial government they replaced. The president of Egypt and others of that level were likely not more concerned with supporting street-level payoffs over maintaining Egyptian cultural purity. These were military dictators accustomed to commanding something and, more or less, that becoming reality. And they were deeply proud and protective of their cultural identity.