Softly, softly
October 23rd, 2004There’s a good article on BBC website about the ways how Americans and the British forces handle their areas of control in Iraq.
Americans:
Top Cover for the Humvee stands with his head and shoulders out of the roof, and is mostly a traffic cop as Humvee Man forces his way through the Baghdad traffic, sounding his horn and shouting at other drivers at roundabouts and intersections. “Hey! Get out of the Way! You! Stop!”
Iraqi drivers stop, and swerve, and pull over to the side, and the Humvee rushes on.
This is all justified, they say, because of the acute danger of VBIEDs - Vehicle-Born Improvised Explosive Devices. That is, car bombs.
But I believe this is a vicious circle of their own making, that much of the hatred of the Americans that is now violently expressed was provoked by their ignorant disrespect of decent people.
British:
Down with the British in Basra it’s all a bit different.
I am still incarcerated - but in an armoured Land Rover.
And we stop here and there, and get out, and talk to people.
Out on patrol the British soldiers sling their helmets from their belts and wear soft hats and buy cans of Coke from street stalls. Softly, softly.
This somehow reminds me of the reactions I’ve heard from people talking about the ways of doing business overseas. One reason I’ve heard why Finns are a good employer in China is that the management respects local traditions and ways of life - instead of bringing the western way of life into China (even though it’s inevitable in a way). So many people have said to me that they do not like the attitudes of Americans, the “we rule the world” -attitude. This is just what I’ve heard from many people, but I don’t have personal experience on this.
Americans: Start making a change by changing your president - go vote for Kerry. Christian Lindholm also sent a message to people about changing Bush to Kerry. Ecyrd also did this in his entry.
Feel free to read on with some related posts:
