Hearts and Minds?

[Osiris]

i didn't say it was necessarily a good thing, but...

i'd rather middle eastern kids wanting nikes and kanye west CDs than wanting to blow up american embassies.

Make love not war I say...

Snoozan just never says yes to me.

 

[ZOS23xy]

I always thought it odd that the US Ambassador sent over to deal with the Mid East is Condi Rice. She looks like she's always pissed off, even when she smiles.

How and what do the Arabic leaders and peoples think of her?

 

[earllogjam]

Do you think that the Middle East will ever win Hearts and Minds in the US and the West?

Any type of understanding is a two way street. I don't think anyone can fully understand another's culture being an outsider but we can come to an academic understanding or acknowlegement of our differences. Whether we approve or if that understanding makes sense in our culture is another matter.

 

[PussyWellington]

It is my hope that this won't degenerate into a silly slanging match.

Do you think that the US and the West will ever win Hearts and Minds in the Middle East?

My feeling is that we/you never will and therefore any military action there is probably doomed to failure in the long/medium term. This suggests to me that we should be looking for alternative stratgeies to the old "we'll nuke you", "kick your ass" options.

The Middle East is a fairly wide area so I'm going to be general.

No, not until there truly is a separation of church and state. Religious fanatics seem to be running the shows (on both sides at times).

No, not while war is big business - Guns, drugs, oil, banking opportunities.

If 'we' the west, truly want to win the hearts and minds we need to withdraw our troops.

 

[rob_just_rob]

Do you think that the Middle East will ever win Hearts and Minds in the US and the West?

Any type of understanding is a two way street. I don't think anyone can fully understand another's culture being an outsider but we can come to an academic understanding or acknowlegement of our differences. Whether we approve or if that understanding makes sense in our culture is another matter.

You beat me to it. There's not a great deal of understanding either way - both sides seem to have stereotyped and ill-informed ideas of how the other side thinks, lives and what they believe in. All the way to the top, in some cases.

Regardless of the U.S.A.'s present and future motives for attempting to win "hearts and minds" in the Mideast, they have to face the fact that their past actions have left an extremely negative impression on most people in the middle east. Self determination with strings attached isn't self determination at all.

 

[dreamer20]

What makes you think they will like/respect a black man more than a white woman?

The reception that they gave to Colin Powell did.

BTW, I also could have said Malcolm X.:wink:

 

[SpeedoGuy]

As long as the US government continues ignore or trivialize the deaths caused by Israel, while simultaneously condemning the deaths caused by radical Islamics, its going to have a difficult time convincing the world of its interest in peace.

 

[viking1]

As long as the US government continues ignore or trivialize the deaths caused by Israel, while simultaneously condemning the deaths caused by radical Islamics, its going to have a difficult time convincing the world of its interest in peace.

They don't really want peace. War is far more profitable...

 

[Bbucko]

The Middle East is a fairly wide area so I'm going to be general.

No, not until there truly is a separation of church and state. Religious fanatics seem to be running the shows (on both sides at times).

This is an abhorrent principle to many, if not most, of the diverse populations in the mid-east. As someone who was raised to believe that the First Amendment is the cornerstone of individual liberty, it puts us at odds with them on a fundamental level.

Frankly, I'm not sure that there will ever be a true understanding between our cultures. And because it's framed in a life-or-death struggle (on both sides), that's not gonna change in my lifetime.

 

[Guy-jin]

thing is, some of the more secular countries (like Iran) are adopting western a lot of western culture. the truth is, the US media is doing what all the wars could never do-- it's bringing middle eastern culture closer to that of the west. i don't know how or why, but even though the US media is drivel, it's drivel that most of the world wants. TV and music are probably the only thing that can bring western ideas to the middle east, which is why groups like the taliban are so anti-television, music, etc.

Pretty much.

Culture clash: bikinis, beach volleyball in Qatar - Other sports - MSNBC.com

My favorite part:

"Even so, the Iraqis wore considerably more conservative outfits than their opponents, the Japanese. While the Agasis were clad in yellow, two-piece tights that went down to mid thigh and covered most of their shoulders, the Japanese pair’s uniforms were so small that the country name had to be abbreviated on their bikini bottoms.

...

Suzara added, however, that he hopes Muslims will come to accept the same kind of outfits that the athletes of other nations wear.

“This is sport in the 21st century,” he said. “I think this will be an eye-opener for Doha.”

It was for Al-Nabit, who confessed that, in the end, he enjoyed watching the competition.

“But I felt very shy about it,” he said."

I'm sure he did enjoy it. :tongue:

 

[Elmer Gantry]

How and what do the Arabic leaders and peoples think of her?

"'They've sent a WOMAN to deal with us!?!"