Posted by
Dawnsblood on Monday, January 08, 2007 8:15:55 PM
Yes this is
terribly simplified but many of its basic points can not be easily disputed. Arabs do have a strong belief that things happen because Allah wants them to and that maintenance is a boring and unimportant thing for them to do. It really does hinder them in the long run.
Arabs
really have a problem with personal responsibility, which is a bedrock
characteristic in any strong economy. The cause of this Arab problem is the
concept of "inshallah" ("If God wills it.") This is a basic tenet of
Islam, although some scholars believe the attitude preceded that religion. In
any event, "inshallah" is deadly when combined with modern technology. For this
reason, Arab countries either have poorly maintained infrastructure and
equipment (including military stuff), or import a lot of foreigners, possessing
the right attitudes, to maintain everything. That minority of Arabs who do have
the right attitude towards maintenance and personal responsibility are
considered odd, but useful. The "inshallah" thing is made worse by a stronger
belief in the supernatural, and magic in general. This often extends to
technology. Thus many Iraqis believe that American troops wear sunglasses that
see through clothing, and armor vests that are actually air conditioned. When
they first encounter these beliefs, U.S. troops thought the Arabs are putting
them on. Then it sinks in that Arabs really believe this stuff. It's a scary
moment.