Page 8 - Pakistan Link - May 28, 2021

P8 – PAKISTAN LINK – MAY 28, 2021 OPINION
n By Dr Syed Amir Napoleon’s Egyptian Odyssey: were able to overwhelm the defenders.
From there, Napoleon’s army marched
Bethesda, MD through the pitiless desert in scorching heat
apoleon Bonaparte died on May 5, Two Centuries Later toward Cairo, the ultimate prize. Many sol-
1821, age 51, in a small, rat-infested diers died of thirst and exhaustion. On July
Nhouse in St Helena, a forlorn island 21, they sighted the formidable Mamluk cav-
in the middle of Atlantic Ocean. His death alry “attired in gleaming gold and silver and

bicentenary was commemo- armed with carbines, pistols and sabers.” The
rated recently in numerous ar- pyramids were clearly visible from where Na-
ticles and commentaries that poleon’s army was arrayed. Before the battle,
reexamined his legacy, char- Napoleon exhorted in a speech that has be-
acter, and accomplishments. come a classic; “Forty centuries of history was
Various institutions in gazing down on them from top of pyramids.”

France have proclaimed the The Mamluks fought bravely under Murad
year 2021 as the Year of Napoleon, and a Bey, but were ill-equipped, ill-prepared and
grand exposition about him is scheduled to centuries behind in the battle technique. The

open this spring in Paris. Yet, he remains outcome was a forgone conclusion. It was a
a highly contentious figure, and even the massacre.

French feel conflicted about him and his im- At age 29, Napoleon became the ruler of

pact on world history. Egypt, styling himself as a Turkish Pasha, and
There are good reasons for this ambiva- liked to be titled as Sultan Kebir. To placate

lence. Napoleon has been described variously the local population, he declared his respect

as one of the most brilliant and gifted military for Islam and his belief in the oneness of Al-
leaders, a secular ruler who promoted equal- lah. He told an assembly of Ulema that “The

ity of all people in the eyes of law, established French are also faithful Muslims. The truth is
the Bank of France, framed the modern legal that they invaded Rome and have destroyed
code and initiated an education system still the throne of the Pope, who always incited
in use in France and elsewhere. However, to wrote, “Having occupied and fortified Egypt, the Mongols at Ayn Jalut in 1260, shattering the Christians to make war on the Muslims.”

his detractors he was an evil genius who kept we shall send a force of 15,000 men from the myth of Mongol invincibility. However, On the prophet’s birthday, he organized a big
Europe in turmoil for decades, needlessly in- Suez to India, to join the forces of Tipu-Sa- in the three centuries since, they had not celebration. In August 1798, he founded the
vading and ravaging other countries, and was heb and drive away the English.” Resistance Institut d’ Egypt, where French savants were
responsible for countless deaths. from the Directory faded. By the time Tipu’s housed.
One of the historic events in his early delegation arrived at Paris in April 1798, Na- Various institutions in While Napoleon was enjoying a luxuri-
career was the French invasion of Egypt, the poleon was ready to embark on the Egyptian France have proclaimed ous life in Cairo, disaster struck. On August
consequences of which reverberated across campaign with an army of 38,000 highly ex- 1, 1798, British Admiral Nelson’s naval forces
the centuries. Napoleon had been fascinated perienced soldiers, 16,000 sailors, and a 194- the year 2021 as the located and destroyed the French fleet in the

by Egypt since his childhood. Besides, in ship armada. Battle of Nile, blocking the return of the army

France, many were enamored of the idea that In addition to assembling a fine fight- Year of Napoleon, and a to France. Besides, insurrections against the

colonization of Egypt would compensate for ing machine, Napoleon made an exceedingly French erupted in Cairo. Napoleon, regard-
the loss of French colonies in North America. unusual move. He recruited a consortium grand exposition about less, pushed ahead with his plan, with an at-
England and France had been at loggerheads of France’s best intellectuals and scientists, him is scheduled to open tack on Syria and present-day Israel. The de-

in Europe and their rivalry extended to India a group comprising 150 mathematicians, teriorating situation in France, forced him to
where they were competing for supremacy. physicists, geographers, astronomers, doc- this spring in Paris. Yet, stealthily return to Paris in 1799, leaving his
The East India Company had gained an up- tors, chemists, botanists, representing the en- he remains a highly forces stranded behind.

per hand, but Tipu Sultan of Mysore (1750- tire spectrums of known sciences, equipped The French occupation of Egypt was

1799) was in the way of British takeover of with a library of 300 volumes. They agreed contentious figure, and short-lived (two years); however, it had two

the country. to join him on the premise that they would enduring effects. First, it brought home to the
The Sultan realizing that he lacked the have unparalleled new research opportuni- even the French feel Muslim world their backward status in sci-

power to defeat the English, sought help ties. However, no one was told the exact des- ence and technology, compared to Europe.

from foreign countries, including the Otto- tination of the mission. conflicted about him and Second, the team of scientists Napoleon
man Empire and France. In 1787, he sent an Egypt had been a semiautonomous his impact on world history had brought performed remarkable scien-
embassy to Paris to the court of King Louis province of the Ottoman Empire since Sultan tific work. Their findings were compiled into

XVI, the last French king, seeking an alli- Selim I defeated the Mamluk Sultan Tuman twenty-three volumes of the Encyclopedia of
ance; however, before anything could materi- Bay in 1517. From then on, Turkish Pashas Egypt, which meticulously documented de-
alize, the monarchy was overthrown in 1789 had ruled Egypt, with varying degrees of au- learnt any new war tactics or the use of mod- tails about Egypt, spanning the ruins of the
by the French revolution. When Napoleon tonomy. However, at the time of the French ern weapons. pyramids to the entomology of native insects
gained ascendency in the ruling hierarchy, invasion nearly three centuries later, Egypt On May 19, 1798, Napoleon’s flotilla set and plants. Importantly, it opened a new

contacts were revived with him. was again ruled by the Mamluks, with only sail for the Egyptian port of Alexandria. They vista of knowledge to the Europeans which

Napoleon conceived a grand plan to nominal affiliation with the Ottoman Em- successfully eluded the naval fleet of British they never had before.
colonize parts of Middle East and ultimately pire. Mamluks were originally slave soldiers, Admiral Nelson, who had been looking for (Dr Syed Amir is a former Assistant

reach India and drive the English out. To per- who had accumulated great power and had them in the Mediterranean Sea. The French Professor, Harvard Medical School, and a

suade the Directors to agree, who would have become rulers. They were fierce fighters and arrived at Alexandria on July 1, surprised the health science administrator, US National
preferred an invasion of England instead, he were the only Muslim power who had routed defenders at night and after a brutal combat Institutes of Health)

The Worst-Kept Economic Secret in America: High Inflation Is Back

n By Dr Mark W. Hendrickson an all-time high. Steel, too, recent- “urban basket of goods” that often cording to the Department of Labor. certainty about future prices,

PA ly traded at prices 35% above the bears little relation to what you and The Federal Reserve (Fed) has numerous businesses are strug-
previous all-time set in 2 0 08 . I actually buy. The CPI, excluding assured the public that the current gling to determine how much to

o most people, “inflation” Perhaps most famously, the price of food and energy, rose “only” 0.9% inflation is transitory and that they produce, and thus are more likely

signifies widespread rising lumber has nearly quadrupled since in March. That doesn’t sound like have it under control. I don’t know to over-produce or under-produce.

Tprices. Economists have the beginning of 2020 and has near- much, but it was the biggest one- the future any more than Fed offi- Furthermore, if inflation causes

long argued, as a matter of tech- ly doubled just since January. cials do, but I do not share their con- foreigners to lose confidence in the

nical accuracy, that Naturally, with raw materials The cost of driving is fidence. I am skeptical because: first, dollar, there could be an exodus

“infl ation” denotes prices soaring, prices of manufac- the Fed since its inception has had from the dollar that could end its
an increasing mon- tured goods are jumping, too. That is soaring, too. According a terrible track record accomplish- status as the principal global reserve

ey supply. Frankly, especially noticeable in the housing to J.D. Power, cited ing any of the tasks assigned to it by currency, thereby triggering an
though, most people market, where the median price of Congress; second, it’s impossible for even steeper decline in the dollar’s

don’t care what hap- existing homes rose to $329,100 in in The Wall Street the Fed or any other entity to con- purchasing power.
pens to the supply of March—a whopping 17.2% increase trol millions of prices and therefore The quantity of dollars al-

money, but they care a lot about from a year earlier. Journal, the average to control the rate of inflation (to be- ready has risen 32.9% in the last
the prices they pay, so I’ll focus The cost of driving is soaring, used car price has risen lieve otherwise is a central planner’s 17 months (mostly due to the fed-

primarily on the numerous rapidly too. According to J.D. Power, cited conceit). eral government’s mind-boggling
rising prices Americans are paying in The Wall Street Journal, the aver- 16.7% and new car Tragically, the Fed has been try- spending binge). It’s possible that we

today. age used car price has risen 16.7% prices have risen 9.6% ing for years to boost inflation to 2% have passed a tipping point where

Following are several examples and new car prices have risen 9.6% annually. How bizarre that our cen- prolonged inflation higher than the

of the current inflation: since January. since January tral bank would deliberately strive hoped-for and already-objection-
Corn, soybeans, and wheat So, are you depressed yet? Per- to reduce the value of our money. able 2% is unavoidable.
have been trading at multi-year haps you can take some comfort in At 2% per year, money loses half its Hang on tight, folks. We could
highs, with corn having risen from Uncle Sam’s official price indexes month increase since 1981 when, for purchasing power in 35 years. That be in for a rough ride in the months

around $3.80 per bushel in January where the price increases seem (at those of you too young to remem- would be half of your nest egg, Mil- ahead. (Dr Mark W. Hendrickson is

2020 to approximately $6.75 now. least at first glance) less jarring. ber, annual inflation was 10.32%. As lennials! a retired adjunct faculty member,

Chicken wings are at all-time record But remember that the most com- for the Producer Price Index (PPI), Today’s inflation is already economist, and fellow for economic
highs. It is getting more expensive to monly cited inflation indicator, the which generally precedes increases problematical. A higher cost of liv- and social policy with the Institute

eat. Consumer Price Index (CPI), is in consumer prices, it is increasing ing falls hardest on the poorest for Faith and Freedom at Grove City
Copper prices have risen to computed on the basis of a mythical at the highest rate since 2010, ac- Americans. Given the present un- College)
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