thedrifter
06-24-04, 08:59 PM
June 24, 2004, 9:07 a.m.
Marines Are from Mars...
...Iraqis are from Venus.
It came to me in an e-mail, sent originally by someone I don't know, and passed along by a friend. It was one of those e-mails that you hesitate about downloading. Do you really want to read 84,662 bytes written by a stranger, sent by a stranger, who thinks you might be interested in what Ben, a Marine, has to say about the differences between Americans and Iraqis?
As it turns out, I'm glad I did read what Ben Connable, an Arabic-speaking major who is with the First Marine Division, wrote. In his analysis, which he entitles "Marines Are From Mars, Iraqis Are From Venus," he thoughtfully and shrewdly delineates the differences between two tribal cultures, theirs and ours. Yes, let's admit it: Americans are a tribe, too, with our clearly defined attitudes, values, and beliefs. And though Ben notes that he is simplifying and generalizing, ("Not every American or Iraqi will find themselves in these descriptions") his goal is to "help Marines in the Al Anbar Province find patience and understanding to help an embattled people." I think Ben's words could give us at home some much-needed patience and understanding as well.
What characterizes our American tribe? According to Ben, "People, in general, are hardwired to see obstacles or problems, [and] find solutions. The American culture reinforces this natural instinct in what most other cultures consider an extreme manner. Americans focus on winning, achieving, succeeding, and producing.... And when we are presented with challenges, we are expected to overcome them with personal initiative."
Other characteristics: "We see ourselves as separate and distinct individuals, [who can chose] our own relationships...and paths in life. If we don't like our families, we simply disassociate ourselves and seek other relationships. We decide what is best for ourselves.... And if we fail, we believe it is our own fault."
We're optimistic, he says, since most of our basic survival needs are met; we can take a long-term view of our lives. We have the luxury of being able to envision and expect a good future for ourselves and our children. And we're optimistic because we live in a society ruled by law and with a government that is usually responsive to our needs. We have trouble adjusting to other people's way of life because we think our way of life is the ideal — and that everyone else should think so too.
Ben concludes that Marines, the warrior clan of our tribe, have all our typical characteristics but to an extreme: "We tend to be exceptionally aggressive, mission focused and [are] strong believers in the American ideal. " Marines could be described, as extreme Americans."
What about Iraqis? Ben writing, again, in the first person plural, but in the voice of their tribe declares:
We are a communal people, and our life revolves around our family, close and extended. The paths of our lives are less lineal than the Americans... [and] our perception of victory and success is often malleable to the circumstances. Our honor demands victory [but we can] adjust the standards to fit the situation. The Gulf War was a victory for Saddam because we prevented you from driving into Baghdad.
Despite the fact we were losing on the field, Fallujah was a victory because you did not finish the attack.... This sense of honor permeates everything we do. A man without honor gets no wife, often gets no work, and...he may be shunned or killed by his family depending on how grave the offense.
It doesn't matter how we support our families as long as we provide. In many cases, we are pushed out the door by our wives to conduct attacks against the Coalition to regain our honor and to make money. An Iraqi woman knows that a husband without honor is worthless to her and her children.
Saddam was a terrible father, but many of loved him as an abused child loves the parents who beat him. We still act like abused children, playing one side against the other.... Don't expect loyalty from us, we are survivors. When we give loyalty to a cause it is to God's cause. When we give loyalty to a people it is to our family.
When we are presented by challenges, we accept the fate prescribed by God. If we are poor, it is God's will that we are poor. If there is a task to be completed, then by the will of God it will be completed — In Sha Allah.
People group together to survive, to protect each other, to look out for each other's interest. If you kill or imprison one of us, you have taken some of our pooled resources and reduced our chance of survival.... That is why we demand blood money for death, injury and damage.... We accept God's will and you have balanced out our resources
Our inability to envision our own future is our greatest weakness. Your talk about democracy and prosperity means little to people who are simply surviving.... If you give money to one of our public officials, he'll steal as much as he can because he doesn't even know if he'll have a job next week.... There is no real shame in corruption; after all, we're looking after our families.
Owning up for poor performances or behavior would be a stupid thing to do if it reduces our chance of survival. If we can put off our mistakes on others, we'll do it not because we're lazy or incompetent but to avoid damaging our honor or possibly losing our job. Everything we do is designed to coax, cajole, trick or steer you into doing what we want you to do. This is a standard survival skill, one that you haven't mastered. Your naiveté never ceases to amaze us.
You may have noticed we have a very emotional nature. There's no imperative to control our emotions.... We can be furious at you one minute, and truly love you the next. [Yes] we are stuck in a rut and we need someone who has the capacity to see a better future to guide us onto the right path. We may take your hand — or we may bite your hand.... And if you expect too much from us, you will be disappointed.
I don't know if Major Ben Connable is an intelligence officer but I know he is a very intelligent one, able to describe — even define — the true nature of the challenge we face. I hope that he and all under his command in Al Anbar Province stay safe.
— Myrna Blyth, long-time editor of Ladies Home Journal
http://www.nationalreview.com/blyth/blyth200406240907.asp
Ellie
Marines Are from Mars...
...Iraqis are from Venus.
It came to me in an e-mail, sent originally by someone I don't know, and passed along by a friend. It was one of those e-mails that you hesitate about downloading. Do you really want to read 84,662 bytes written by a stranger, sent by a stranger, who thinks you might be interested in what Ben, a Marine, has to say about the differences between Americans and Iraqis?
As it turns out, I'm glad I did read what Ben Connable, an Arabic-speaking major who is with the First Marine Division, wrote. In his analysis, which he entitles "Marines Are From Mars, Iraqis Are From Venus," he thoughtfully and shrewdly delineates the differences between two tribal cultures, theirs and ours. Yes, let's admit it: Americans are a tribe, too, with our clearly defined attitudes, values, and beliefs. And though Ben notes that he is simplifying and generalizing, ("Not every American or Iraqi will find themselves in these descriptions") his goal is to "help Marines in the Al Anbar Province find patience and understanding to help an embattled people." I think Ben's words could give us at home some much-needed patience and understanding as well.
What characterizes our American tribe? According to Ben, "People, in general, are hardwired to see obstacles or problems, [and] find solutions. The American culture reinforces this natural instinct in what most other cultures consider an extreme manner. Americans focus on winning, achieving, succeeding, and producing.... And when we are presented with challenges, we are expected to overcome them with personal initiative."
Other characteristics: "We see ourselves as separate and distinct individuals, [who can chose] our own relationships...and paths in life. If we don't like our families, we simply disassociate ourselves and seek other relationships. We decide what is best for ourselves.... And if we fail, we believe it is our own fault."
We're optimistic, he says, since most of our basic survival needs are met; we can take a long-term view of our lives. We have the luxury of being able to envision and expect a good future for ourselves and our children. And we're optimistic because we live in a society ruled by law and with a government that is usually responsive to our needs. We have trouble adjusting to other people's way of life because we think our way of life is the ideal — and that everyone else should think so too.
Ben concludes that Marines, the warrior clan of our tribe, have all our typical characteristics but to an extreme: "We tend to be exceptionally aggressive, mission focused and [are] strong believers in the American ideal. " Marines could be described, as extreme Americans."
What about Iraqis? Ben writing, again, in the first person plural, but in the voice of their tribe declares:
We are a communal people, and our life revolves around our family, close and extended. The paths of our lives are less lineal than the Americans... [and] our perception of victory and success is often malleable to the circumstances. Our honor demands victory [but we can] adjust the standards to fit the situation. The Gulf War was a victory for Saddam because we prevented you from driving into Baghdad.
Despite the fact we were losing on the field, Fallujah was a victory because you did not finish the attack.... This sense of honor permeates everything we do. A man without honor gets no wife, often gets no work, and...he may be shunned or killed by his family depending on how grave the offense.
It doesn't matter how we support our families as long as we provide. In many cases, we are pushed out the door by our wives to conduct attacks against the Coalition to regain our honor and to make money. An Iraqi woman knows that a husband without honor is worthless to her and her children.
Saddam was a terrible father, but many of loved him as an abused child loves the parents who beat him. We still act like abused children, playing one side against the other.... Don't expect loyalty from us, we are survivors. When we give loyalty to a cause it is to God's cause. When we give loyalty to a people it is to our family.
When we are presented by challenges, we accept the fate prescribed by God. If we are poor, it is God's will that we are poor. If there is a task to be completed, then by the will of God it will be completed — In Sha Allah.
People group together to survive, to protect each other, to look out for each other's interest. If you kill or imprison one of us, you have taken some of our pooled resources and reduced our chance of survival.... That is why we demand blood money for death, injury and damage.... We accept God's will and you have balanced out our resources
Our inability to envision our own future is our greatest weakness. Your talk about democracy and prosperity means little to people who are simply surviving.... If you give money to one of our public officials, he'll steal as much as he can because he doesn't even know if he'll have a job next week.... There is no real shame in corruption; after all, we're looking after our families.
Owning up for poor performances or behavior would be a stupid thing to do if it reduces our chance of survival. If we can put off our mistakes on others, we'll do it not because we're lazy or incompetent but to avoid damaging our honor or possibly losing our job. Everything we do is designed to coax, cajole, trick or steer you into doing what we want you to do. This is a standard survival skill, one that you haven't mastered. Your naiveté never ceases to amaze us.
You may have noticed we have a very emotional nature. There's no imperative to control our emotions.... We can be furious at you one minute, and truly love you the next. [Yes] we are stuck in a rut and we need someone who has the capacity to see a better future to guide us onto the right path. We may take your hand — or we may bite your hand.... And if you expect too much from us, you will be disappointed.
I don't know if Major Ben Connable is an intelligence officer but I know he is a very intelligent one, able to describe — even define — the true nature of the challenge we face. I hope that he and all under his command in Al Anbar Province stay safe.
— Myrna Blyth, long-time editor of Ladies Home Journal
http://www.nationalreview.com/blyth/blyth200406240907.asp
Ellie