I met her at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in the spring. Trust me, you will NOT be disappointed when you see her.

A short recon of what’s out there that might draw your attention, updated throughout the day…so check back often….

Arabs are corrupt. It is just the norm for that culture.

Power corrupts. In Iraq, in America — anywhere. It’s just more culturally acceptable over there.

They don’t even look at it as corruption, it’s just a way of doing business.

bikermailman on September 19, 2007 at 12:19 AM

In some Asian countries, like South Korea, tipping in a restaurant is unheard of. Try slipping your waiter some extra cash for good service and they will turn kimchi red and politely decline. You would think taking the money was like taking a bribe. Meanwhile, in the United States tipping 15% to the waiter is standard because it is the way we do business here.

the baksheesh factor, or bribery thing is as integral a part of Arab culture as camels and dates. They don’t even look at it as corruption, it’s just a way of doing business.

bikermailman on September 19, 2007 at 12:19 AM

BINGO! You nailed it there.

If you spend any amount of time at all in Iraq the muslim world — and I mean that literally, any time at all — you’ll soon observe corruption

Saddam didn’t make Iraq corrupt, the entire muslim world runs on bribes. In fact, it’s not just the muslim world, all of Africa runs on bribes as well. Indeed, much the same could be said of south and central America. Ditto the Slavic world.

All of the non-western world runs on bribes. Only in the western world are bribes and corruption frowned upon by the culture. Every other culture inculcates such behavior.

I remember a Saudi trying to bribe me to get me to give him my girlfriend…for the night.

1. Fake outrage. Nah, start pointing fingers and all of a sudden I realize that corruption is pretty darn universal.

2. Fake worldliness. Nah, that enlightenment crap is for libs.

I guess I’ll be going with option number

3. Quietly thank the men and women who, in whatever capacity, fight to keep me free to go about my day to day routines, unburdened with the cares, complexities, and dangers illuminated in this post.

Ummm…can’t they just change their name to Darkwater and keep rolling?

TexasDan on September 18, 2007 at 11:14 PM

LOL – they could, and probably should if this keeps up.

Wait, who?

- The Cat

MirCat on September 18, 2007 at 11:21 PM

When Bryan and MM were in Iraq they heard that Mookie was better known for playing video games than studying the Koran. Hence the nickname.

It still cracks me up. I just imagine that bulbous lout sitting on his couch munching on doritos playing with his Playstation.

Blackwater being put through a ringer might score some points.

Just a guess.

Uhh, I meant:

“Along with the bewildering corruption, that’s another reality in Iraq: At times, it’s a kill or be killed kind of place.”

Just goes to show how very stretched the U.S. Army is for so much going on to have to rely on what are basically private armies, what some would call mercenaries. I have never heard of a war that U.S. troops were involved in with this kind of thing before. In the list of similarities and differences between Iraq and Vietnam, this would most definitely be in the later.

“Mullah Atari,”

Wait, who?

- The Cat