I agree and think that is very accurate assessment but to be fair, this issue is not just seen only within Arabs but Muslims in general - the inability to acknowledge faults and question in a similar way the West does. Which probably explains the lack of development both socially and economically.
You practice what you preach which is why I like you. Mira has stated the same in past posts.
I admire both of you for being candid and being able to state the above. Strength comes from admitting weakness.
Israel is strange that way. It cetainly has open admission of its weaknesses to the point of nauseum if you read the press or listen to the politicians and so many interest and human rights groups but I do think in fairness it can be said Israelis have developed a similiar mentality to many peoples and its certainly not just particular to the Arab peoples and best described as resentment towards outsiders who presume to tell them how they should live and what values to have.
If I may give a constructive example may I refer to Djibouti. In that territory next door to Somalia, the U.S. Army has used a model first created by Canadian Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson which envisioned an army being a peacekeeper and social facilitator. It has worked hard with the people of Djibouti building roads, schools, community centres and engaging in what I would humbly suggest is a successful model of equal partnership in assisting a country develop as opposed to Iraq.
In Iraq the Americans came in, bombed the country back to the stone age, and then set up a system of contractual kick backs for Haliburton to rebuild the country but forbidding any Iraqis from being part of that rebuild. That to me was crazy. The best way in my humble opinion to build a democracy is to create grass roots work projects with and for the people. Why Iraqis could not be part of the rebuilding of roads, schools, buildings I do not know.
Some say well its because terrorists would blow everything up. Some would argue no the reason why terrorists exist is because the average Iraqi has no vested interest in rebuilding their country and have been forced to the sidelines and unemployment. Give them jobs and give them a direct interest in the property being built and they won't blow it up.
Certainly Israel proved that true. At one point Israel went into Gaza and funded hundreds of charities with indirect relations to Hamas when Hamas openly renounced terrorism as an option. During those days Gaza Palestinians and Israelis worked together and built community centres, schools, roads, green houses, government buildings and Gaza citizens went into Israel to work as well.
Hamas are no dummies. When they saw there was no incentive to fight Israel and that Palestinians were peacefully co-existing the first thing they did was blow up the roads, buildings, schools, green houses and threaten Palestinians with death for cooperating with Israelis in any way shape or form.
With those then deprived circumstances and Gaza citizens trapped in unemployment Hamas could then justify terrorism, blame the malaise on Israel and set of a never ending round of tit for tat.
Seems to be and it may be naive I know, but the best way to be pro-active against societies that incite terrorists is to get the people jobs-give them a reason to live-give them a vested interest in direct control over their futures-I may argue with Palestinians on many subjects but I totally must agree with them when they say if you take a people and they have no jobs or control over their future-they turn to anger and terrorism. It doesn't justify it but it explains the conditions that create it.
Democracy is an intangible concept until its put into practice-in practice democracy is as simple as setting up a water well or water piple line, or building roads-boring, infrastructure issues. Water, roads, homes, food production, those boring basics build the foundation of democracy.
Sending in as the U.S. did Haliburton and its never ending mercenary security force to keep the country hostage and under seige will not build democracy just resentment.
The U.S. Army warned not to send in corupt contractors and mercenary security forces and establish a foreign elite non military presence in Iraq that did not actively involve Iraqis and Bush Jr. and Chaney and Rumsfeld arrogantly ignored their advise and the successful model of cooperation they achieved in
Djibouti.
Now I fear the lesson may not be learned in Afghanistan. With the corupt elite Afghani government o Karzi, one wonders, what are the NATO forces there for? Are they really building a democracy that will translate in day to day life or are they merely protecting the interest of corupt drug lords?
On the West Bank is democracy a tangible concept that could arise? Has there been sufficient cultural precedent in the Arab world for a truly democratic government of the people? I don't think any has ever existed. Even in Israel, its prickly democracy has been corupted by bribery probably sunconsciously tolerated mor readily from the influx of Russians, Arab Jews, or Jews from countries that did not havenon corupt democratic traditions and so are more likely to toelrate coruption and non tolerant political engagement.
The old Labour Zionist movement and idealism of Western Europe first enunciated in Israel long since passed and appears forgotten as we now see Israel has moved from a n agragrian cooperatvie model of economy to a military industrial complex with its own unique democratic defficiencies as every nation has.
No one is perfect that is for sure but it doesn't mean we can't push to try reform and change things and try find models of cooperation and political cooperation that allow free speech and healthy difference of opinion without the need to resort to violence. It just may be far more of an obstacle in the Middle East and maybe unrealistic.
Lebanon had it not been for Syria's military intervention and repeated assassinations of its leaders, despite its horrible civil war was evolving into a very real and dynamic democracy. Whether it ever can again get back to democracy with Hezbollah so powerful and a nation to itself within the nation remains to be seen.
Certainly one can't anticipate democratic regimes in Egypt, Syria, Iran, Yemen , the Gulf States or Saudi Arabia. In fact its doubtful any Arab League State would embrace Western style democracy. The deeply entrenched tradition is for one party rule propped by the military.
Lebanon shows the most promise for democracy provided it can find a way to deal with Hezbollah who seem to get more powerful as each day passes and is headed for a show down over tribunal findings over the assassination of past Lebanese elected leaders and Hezbollah's role in their murders.
