Taking the Saudi dollar

For a culture as venerable as that of Egypt, it might seem incongruous to say it is aping a comparative parvenu like Hollywood.  But it seems to follow the plot of Star Wars Episodes VI and VII quite closely.  After the rebellion overthrows the evil emperor Hosni Mubarak, there is a time of great celebration and optimism.  But the reassertion of the iron grip of the military recalls how the openly fascistic First Order emerged from the upheaval to wreak even more havoc than the Empire.  This is in the wake of Hossam Bahgat saying the repression in Egypt is worst in living memory, stretching back to the Nasser era.  Bahgat is one of Egypt's most prominent journalists and human rights advocates but that hasn't stopped his being 'detained' recently.  Bahgat spoke of the restrictions on media outlets, a spike in the number of political prisoners, forced disappearances and extrajudicial killings.  But then I guess that what happens when a country's rulers are deeply in hock to Saudi Arabia who are like Snoke in the analogy.  Though Iran is not innocent when it comes to stirring the pot, the House of Saud are the real drivers of instability in the Middle East.