The Catharsis policy ; the oldest policy in Egypt

The Catharsis policy is what I am going to talk about this time

First what is the meaning of the Catharsis

Catharsis is a noun to describe the relief of strong feelings or tensions by giving vent to them in Art or Drama

The Oxford paperback Dictionary

in Other more easier words Catharsis is to let people express their feelings just for a while through ART or Drama ,you see as the scientific fact says that more pressure and tension can produce explosion , and so people can not stand more pressure in their lives whether emotional or social or economic or political with out explosion and eruption like a big volcano causing one definite bitter fact revolution in their lives . The most desperate person sometimes turns in to a bomb a highly explosive one from keeping his anger down , this anger just needs another push of pressure to explode in the face of other

I guess I explained it enough , now to the Catharsis policy in Egypt

Catharsis policy I guess is a policy used by very intelligent totalitarian dictatorial regimes to control its people in the most efficient way , you see usually in the usual totalitarian dictatorial corrupted regimes ,the freedom of expression and opinion is not allowed by any means at all, you say what you think about the regime and you won't say anything again in this life as you are transferred to the other life , after what happens to you , no one else will dare to open his or her mouth until the load and pressure will be heavy and an explosion will happen on the form of Public revolution , the examples are many and the most important and controversial also is the Iranian example , the Iranian Islamic revolution people wouldn't act as they did from trials to embassies destruction not because Khomeini said so , but it was a reaction what they suffered from years of Oppression and dictatorship of the Shah and his secret service . Yet Intelligent dictatorial regimes are much wiser especially when it is in the rule for a long time

This regime creates an illusion to its own people , a margin of freedom of expression which in reality is a mirage of freedom of expression , this margin or mirage or call it as you like is a vent , small vent rather a room where people just gather and scream as loud as they can ,expressing their anger from everything , scream ,scream and scream , but this small vent or room in fact is anti-sound room , the regime can't hear or rather ignore these screams for anger , yet it observes it and watches to make sure it doesn't cross the limits of its control .

The Channels of this policy are known the media and Art ; Newspapers and magazines attacking the regime and its corruption , the Film industry producing movies that call for freedom and attacking the era

now you got it . It is the one of the oldest tools used by the regime in Egypt whether in Nasser or Mubarak era ,I can't recall its use in Anwar El-Sadaat's.

This policy historically in Egypt was used after the defeat of the six days war in 1967 , if you remember the movies that produced after the defeat you will be surprised that all those movies were produced in Nasser era ,by the Cinema establishment that follows the ministry of culture itself at that time , let's remember the names: Naguib Mahfouz powerful movies of "Miramar" which criticizes the Socialist Union at that time and my favorite masterpiece of "Chitchat over the Nile" which I can't describe it that easily except it described very well the reasons of defeat, "Song over the crossing" based upon a true military story ,it wasn't about Nasser or the army anymore ,it was about the people who make the army, and of course the greatest masterpiece of Egyptian cinema of all time chosen by both movie critics and viewers "Something from fear" by Tharowat Abbatha" , the epic countryside story that criticizes Nasser himself portrayed him as a ruthless gangster

Think again and you will see that those movies for people like the Egyptian people had some kind of relaxing effect

already El-Dostor newspaper from the first page to the last page attacks the old man in a strange way that makes you wonder how they let this newspaper out , yes Ibrahim Eissa is going to trial ,so is Wael El-Ibrashi but in the end they won't go to jail in the last moment because the president who believes in freedom of expression will order of their release.

well I tell you it is simple thing ,this is among the techniques of the famous catharsis policy ,let the people breathe for a while to serve two purposes

1. To protect the regime from public anger as Pressure produces explosion , and people have enough pressure in their life

2. To prove that the regime is a democratic one while it is not , but this is needed to outside world propaganda , for example ,I saw an interview for Gamal Mubarak with LBC TV in the last world economic forum in Sharm El-Sheikh , the first thing he said about the so-called political democratic improvement

"Look to the number of newspapers and see how fierce they are attacking us freely"

But the Catharsis policy doesn't help the dictatorship to stay forever ,it only helps to stay a bit longer , simply because the continuity of any status especially the wrong unjust one is impossible ,as one day those people who are screaming in a room will find there way out

tags: Egypt, Egyptian, Politics, Democracy, Dictatorship, Theories, Newspapers