"The Holding Company for Revenge Against the Egyptian People – Raising Prices as a National Duty"

 Comprehensive Analysis: "The Holding Company for Revenge Against the Egyptian People – Raising Prices as a National Duty"

When Public Services Become Instruments of Punishment: The Ultimate Satire of Economic Extraction

A Satirical Text by Al‑Nadim Al‑Raqmi (The Digital Nadim)

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Full English Translation

The establishment of the "Holding Company for Revenge Against the Egyptian People" has been announced. It includes: the General Electricity Company of Egypt, the Drinking Water and Sewage Company, gas and butane cylinder companies, mobile and internet companies, Telecom Egypt, the General Traffic Department, the General Authority for Roads and Bridges (the "cards"), the Metro Authority, and the Railways Authority.

It was decided that the company will report directly to the Prime Minister's office, under the direct supervision and directives of the President of the Republic, in order to coordinate and innovate unconventional methods, means, and tricks to increase and develop the state's direct revenues, pumping them toward paying off debt interest.

Prime Minister Dr. Mostafa Madbouly stated in press remarks that the Egyptian citizen should not complain about the insane multiplication of prices and their continuous periodic increases. Instead, he should double his work and production to keep up with prices, cope with rampant inflation, prove his patriotism, and bear the burdens of economic reform and the repayment of the nation's debts.

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Introduction: When the State Becomes a Revenge Machine

This text by Al‑Nadim Al‑Raqmi represents one of his most audacious and comprehensive satires on Egypt's public service system. The central idea is the creation of a "Holding Company for Revenge Against the Egyptian People" – a conglomerate that brings together every institution that Egyptians interact with daily and suffer from: electricity, water, sewage, gas, mobile and internet services, traffic, road tolls ("the cards"), metro, and railways. This company reports directly to the Prime Minister and the President, and its mission is to "innovate unconventional methods, means, and tricks" to increase revenues to pay off debt interest. Prime Minister Madbouly then tells citizens not to complain about insane price hikes but to work harder, accept inflation, and prove their patriotism by enduring economic reform.

The satire operates on multiple levels:

· The naming: "Revenge" (intiqām) is a shocking, honest label for what citizens feel – the state is punishing them.

· The scope: Nearly every public service that affects daily life is included, forming a unified extraction machine.

· The leadership: Direct presidential and prime ministerial oversight means the "revenge" is not accidental but policy.

· "Unconventional tricks": The state admits it uses tricks to extract more money.

· Blame the victim: Madbouly tells citizens not to complain but to work harder – a classic authoritarian deflection.

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Part One: Literary and Rhetorical Analysis – The Language of Institutional Extraction

1. "The Holding Company for Revenge Against the Egyptian People"

The term "holding company" (sharikat qābiḍa) is a legitimate corporate structure. Attaching "for revenge against the Egyptian people" transforms it into a satirical monstrosity. "Revenge" implies that the state is punishing its citizens for some transgression – perhaps for being poor, for complaining, or simply for existing. The satire: the name reflects a widespread popular sentiment.

2. The list of subsidiaries

The text names:

· Electricity Company: frequent outages, rising bills.

· Water and Sewage Company: poor quality, interruptions, rising fees.

· Gas and butane cylinder companies: recurrent shortages, price hikes.

· Mobile and internet companies, Telecom Egypt: slow services, high costs.

· General Traffic Department: fines, licenses, congestion.

· Roads and Bridges Authority (the "cards"): electronic tolls on every bridge and highway.

· Metro and Railways: overcrowding, delays, accidents.

By grouping all these under one "revenge" company, the text highlights that citizens experience them as a single, coordinated system of extraction and frustration.

3. "Direct supervision and directives of the President of the Republic"

The company is not independent; it is under the highest political authority. The satire: the president personally oversees the "revenge" operations. This reflects the hyper‑centralization of decision‑making in Egypt.

4. "Unconventional methods, means, and tricks (ḥiyal)"

The word "tricks" (ḥiyal) is deliberately chosen. It implies deception, cunning, and manipulation. The state admits it will use dishonest methods to extract more money from citizens. The satire: the regime no longer bothers with legitimacy; it will use any means necessary.

5. "Increase and develop the state's direct revenues... to pay off debt interest"

The ultimate goal is not improving services but servicing debt. Citizens pay more to cover interest on loans taken by the government. The satire: the state's primary function has become debt collection.

6. Madbouly's statement: "should not complain about the insane multiplication of prices"

Madbouly acknowledges that prices are multiplying "insanely" (jinūniyya) and increasing "periodically continuously". This is an official admission of hyperinflation. But instead of addressing it, he tells citizens to stop complaining.

7. "Double his work and production to keep up with prices"

The solution is not to lower prices but to work harder. The satire: citizens must run faster just to stay in place – a cruel treadmill.

8. "Prove his patriotism and bear the burdens of economic reform and the repayment of the nation's debts"

Enduring hardship is reframed as patriotism. The satire: the nationalist citizen is the one who suffers silently and pays more.

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Part Two: Political Analysis – The State as Extortionist

1. The naming as truth

By calling it a "revenge" company, the text names what citizens already feel. The state is not a benevolent provider; it is a punitive force. The satire: the regime's own actions have earned this label.

2. Centralized control

Placing the company directly under the president and prime minister removes any plausible deniability. The highest authorities are personally responsible for the "tricks" used to extract revenue. The satire: there is no middle management to blame; the buck stops at the top.

3. "Unconventional tricks" as a confession

Using the word "tricks" is a rare moment of honesty. The state acknowledges that its methods are not transparent, fair, or legal. The satire: the regime has abandoned even the pretense of proper governance.

4. Debt servicing as the primary goal

The state's priority is not education, health, infrastructure, or security – it is paying interest on debt. The satire: Egypt has become a debt‑servicing machine, and citizens are the fuel.

5. Blaming the victim

Madbouly's statement inverts responsibility: instead of the state apologizing for price hikes, citizens are told to work harder and stop complaining. The satire: authoritarian logic always finds a way to blame the people.

6. Patriotism as silent suffering

Enduring economic pain is redefined as love of country. The satire: the regime has weaponized patriotism to extract compliance.

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Part Three: Economic Analysis – The Arithmetic of Extraction

1. Real price increases

Egypt has seen repeated increases in electricity, water, gas, and transport fares. These are often justified as "removing subsidies" or "economic reform." The text captures the cumulative effect: everything goes up, all the time.

2. "The cards" (al‑kārtāt)

Electronic toll collection on roads and bridges has become a significant revenue source. Citizens pay every time they use a bridge or highway – infrastructure that was already built with their taxes. The satire: double taxation.

3. Debt interest

Egypt spends a huge portion of its budget (often over 40%) on debt servicing. New revenues go to creditors, not to services. The satire: the state is a conduit from citizens' pockets to international lenders.

4. "Double work and production"

In a stagnant economy with low wages and underemployment, working more does not guarantee more income. The advice is unrealistic. The satire: the government has no real solutions, so it offers empty slogans.

5. Inflation as a treadmill

Rising prices outpace wage increases. Even if citizens work harder, they may not catch up. The satire: the regime's economic policy is a race to the bottom.

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Part Four: The Text in Al‑Nadim's Project – The Public Services Trilogy

This text joins a series of satires on public services:

Text Focus Complaint

The Bills Era Utility bills Predatory pricing

The Front for the Defense of Pockets Fighting fees Opposition to extraction

This Text All public services unified The state as revenge machine

The progression: from individual bills to collective resistance to the realization that all services are part of a single system of punishment.

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Part Five: Deep Symbolic Meanings

1. "Revenge" as a symbol of state‑citizen relations

The state sees citizens as debtors who must be punished. The satire: the social contract has been replaced by a penal code.

2. "The cards" as a symbol of invisible extraction

Electronic tolls are deducted without cash changing hands. The satire: technology makes extraction seamless and invisible.

3. "Unconventional tricks" as a symbol of desperation

When conventional taxes and fees are insufficient, the state resorts to tricks. The satire: the regime is running out of legitimate options.

4. "Patriotism" as a symbol of exploitation

National pride is weaponized to justify suffering. The satire: love of country becomes a cover for exploitation.

5. "Debt interest" as a symbol of neo‑colonial dependency

Egypt's debt is largely to international financial institutions and foreign governments. The satire: the state extracts from its citizens to pay foreign creditors.

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Part Six: Conclusion – The Revenge Continues

This text is one of Al‑Nadim's most comprehensive satires, because it unites all the daily frustrations of Egyptians under a single banner: the "Holding Company for Revenge." The name is shocking, but the text suggests it is merely an honest label for what already exists. The prime minister's response – work harder, don't complain, prove your patriotism – completes the picture: the state knows it is punishing you, and it expects you to thank it.

The deeper message: When the state treats its citizens as enemies to be extracted from rather than as partners in development, the relationship becomes one of revenge. The citizen pays more, receives less, and is told that suffering is a virtue. The "cards" are swiped, the meters spin, and the debt is serviced. The revenge never ends.

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Satirical Conclusion

The board of the Holding Company for Revenge met. Madbouly attended via video conference. "Profits this quarter exceeded expectations," he said. A member asked: "Thanks to price hikes?" Madbouly replied: "Thanks to the citizens' patience." Another asked: "What about their complaints?" Madbouly said: "We asked them not to complain." The board applauded. Outside, a citizen paid his electricity bill. He looked at the number. He sighed. "This is revenge," he said. He did not know how right he was.

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Key Terms for International Readers

Term Explanation

الشركة القابضة للإنتقام Holding Company for Revenge – a satirical name for the conglomerate of public service providers

الكارتات "The cards" – electronic toll collection on roads and bridges

الحيل غير التقليدية Unconventional tricks – an admission that the state uses deceptive methods to increase revenue

تضاعف الأسعار بصورة جنونية The insane multiplication of prices – a confession of rampant inflation

ديون الوطن The nation's debts – shifting responsibility for government borrowing onto citizens

إثبات وطنيته Prove his patriotism – enduring economic hardship as a nationalist act

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Suggested English Titles

1. "The Holding Company for Revenge: Egypt's New Public Services Conglomerate"

2. "Don't Complain, Work Harder: Madbouly's Advice to Citizens Facing 'Insane' Price Hikes"

3. "Unconventional Tricks: How Egypt Plans to Extract More Revenue from Its People"

4. "The Cards, the Meters, and the Revenge: A Satirical Masterpiece on Economic Austerity"

5. "Paying Off Debt Through Patriotism: When Silence Becomes a National Duty"

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Comprehensive analysis prepared for international publication

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