Out of this unstable mix of technocracy and national…
““Out of this unstable mix of technocracy and national security you have a nostalgia developing for colonialism or religion—atavistic in my opinion, but some people want them back. Sadat is the great example of that: he threw out the Russians, as well as everything else that represented Abdel Nasser, ascendant nationalism, and so forth—and said, “Let the Americans come.” Then you have a new period of what in Arabic is called an infitah—in other words, an opening of the country to a new imperialism: technocratic management, not production but services—tourism, hotels, banking, etc. That’s where we are right now.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The quote warns that mixing technocratic governance with security concerns revives nostalgic, regressive ideologies like colonialism or religion, leading to new forms of imperialism focused on services rather than production.
In simple terms: Mixing tech and security can bring back old, harmful ideas and new imperialism.
Key Takeaway
Beware of policies that replace production with service‑based imperialism.
Themes
politics
history
imperialism
technology
culture
Mood
cautious
critical
reflective
Type
analysis
commentary
When to use this quote
- government reform
- foreign investment
- tourism development
- banking sector
- civil society activism
Key Concepts
postcolonial theory
political economy
nostalgia
modernization
Questions to Reflect On
- How can societies balance modernization with preserving local agency?
- What alternatives exist to service‑based imperialism?
A Different Perspective
It may overlook grassroots economic empowerment and local agency.