Of Garbage and Coppers

It's been quite a while since I wrote a post, my apologies. Usually when people first start a blog they tend to write voraciously then begin to tardy. Egypt is full of social woes to write about, so I will do my utmost to expunge my excess thoughts and rants at a timely manner.

Anyways.

Cairo is less than descent in terms of sanitation. Rarely does one see trash bins on the street and in places where one can marvel at the evanescent sights, the garbage itself collects dust from seasons of discontinued usage. Just the other day I was near Tahrir Square when I saw a car pull up at a curb just to throw out a bag of trash. Sure the street cleaners may sweep away some of the shit, but much remains to form the distinct pavements of underdeveloped nations. Such sturdy roads, Romans be proud.

Another unwelcome and perhaps just as unsightly scene is the excess policemen lounging about the streets of Cairo. A few stand in attention at embassies and a lesser number actually direct traffic. Yet those inadequately attempting to control the irreversible flood of irresponsible and less-than-respectable drivers of Cairo dwindle in number compared to those that sit in the shade and sip tea day-after-day.

Not to be entirely too unfair, the police that I have encountered when needing directions have been more than friendly despite the solid language barrier. At the same time, they contribute to social woes of this country by contributing to sexual harassment and having a hand in prostitution and drug trade. Yet one cannot blame the police for attempting to utilize their position to financially better themselves at the expense of social order; they too have hungry mouths to feed.

So we have two distinct problems: 1. excess trash and 2. lots of under payed police, some behaving criminally.

We have an easy solution. Supplement the wages of the police through fines on littering. And who better to levy the fines than the primary beneficiaries themselves. No, not the denizens of Cairo who will enjoy the clean streets, clearly they do not care about trashing their own country. The police of course will be delighted. They are sure to be highly motivated.

Adam Smith noted that: "Public services are never better performed than when their reward comes only in consequence of their being performed, and is proportioned to the diligence employed in performing them." (The Wealth of Nations, Book V, Chapter 1, Part Two)

Clean streets are essential for a healthier society and drawing out tourists from the five-star hotels into the streets of Cairo. The spread of their lucrative capital among Egyptian enterprises will enrich the masses and hopefully lower the ghastly high prices of luxury restaurants and hotels.

Of course this needs to be complemented by a public incentive to efficiently utilize their resources. This may seem like a jump, but a reduction and eventual suspension of food and oil subsidies must be enacted (I promise you more on this later) to best accommodate for the public good.

Perhaps with a little more police motivation, the traffic can be controlled as well. If trash and traffic is under control in Egypt, recycling is not far in the horizon. Then a more powerful private sector driven by green economy followed by democracy and roads paved with gold... ah I rant