A widely-believed false story about Soviet power is itself a political fact

Evidence

A more serious complaint about the Russians relates to their grow­ ing domination. I was, for example, told again and again by various friends that any member of the Soviet Embassy, even the humblest third Secretary, can call President Nasser at any time of the day and night and see him immediately if he wishes. I do not for a moment believe the truth of this story, which is altogether too improbable; but the mere fact that it is related—frequently and by many people—is in itself a political fact. There is a widespread belief that the Russians need Nasser because he keeps them in Egypt, and Nasser needs the Russians because they keep him in power. This belief does not add to the pop­ ularity of either Nasser or the Russians. — Bernard Lewis, From Babel to Dragomans, 1298

Categorization

• XREF: The idea that a falsifiable rumor believed by many is itself a political fact echoes the Representation section of Said’s Orientalism and the notion that narrative constructs reality regardless of truth-value.
• QUESTION: Could test how Egyptians themselves perceived the transactional Nasser–Soviet dependency — a claim that mirrors Cold War framing but originates from lower Egyptian sources.