Interesting. That article sums up some conversations I had last fall with some very educated people from that area. One medical doctor, educated in the USA, said he believed OBL was made up by the USA to justify their imperialist ambitions relating to the oil in the ME. Lots of Pakistanis believe the same.
That and other conversations confirmed for me that even educated individuals in that area do not understand or trust the USA's intentions.
I spoke with more that one person who brought up the legend that Jews were behind 9-11 and that 4,000 of them were told to stay home. These are people who are wealthy and and have elite educations, and they believe this crap.
Many of these people have a basic problem in that they cannot produce an independent thought. Most Americans can look at foolish pronouncements like that and pick it apart piece by piece (for example, how could 100 people, let alone 4,000 people keep such a secret from their families and friends, especially when they'd have to explain why they're staying home from work. How could they stay home and allow their co-workers to go to work?, etc).
There is no way we are ever going to win hearts and minds in that part of the world. The distrust runs too deep.
Part of it is a broken down mind-set. A poor person in that part of the world will look at someone giving them something out of the goodness of their heart and wonder what kind of scheme they are working and what kind of angle is behind this charity. They do not respect the weak like we do in the West. While we wish it was human nature to do so, my guess is the respect for the weak comes from a governing rule of law.
Over there, if someone gives you too much change after a purchase and you keep it, you're smart, because you took advantage of the other guy's weakness.
In the USA, we believe in our future and our ability to shape our own destiny through our choices. Over there, most believe you are incapable of improving your social and class stature and that much of what happens is just fate.
Some of that is well founded because of the culture and government policies. Such hopelessness is the breeding ground for radical ideology, hate, and a sense that they have nothing to lose. Desperate people do desperate things, and desperate people are some of the most dangerous people out there.
It's the weekend, and I'm allowed a rant or two <G>
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