Since the initial invasion of Iraq, one of the questions I have held constant is our previously demonstrated inability to understand the cultural construct of the people in countries in which we send our war fighters...

The Seven Pillars and the Cultural Divide in Iraq
http://moonagewebdream.blogs.com/storms_counter_terrorism/2007/03/the_seven_pilla.html

Gonzales talks to local media about keeping kids safe from sexual predators.

As the Texas decider swaggered across the White House lawn, five of his Best-of-Baghdad troops were brutally raping and murdering a 14-year old girl and her family and then leaving them in a blaze of kerosene. Gonzales should talk with local media about keeping kids safe from MTV MARINES, Neocon Congressmen and Christians.

The Seven Pillars article is the best short description I have seen about the dynamics of Iraqi society and their perceptions of what is "normal" with regard to political power, and anyone trying to "democratize" them needs to read it. However, I haven't believed for a second that the neocons in the Bush adminstration cared two hoots about the Iraqi people and/or installing a democratic government.

The Bush team had several goals going into the Iraq war: 1) settling an old score by removing Saddam; 3) embarrassing their political opponents by finding hidden WMDs; 3) making the Israelis and Saudis happy by removing Saddam; 4) grabbing Iraq's previously nationalized oil industry and turning it over to friendly commercial interests; 5) establishing permanent military bases in Iraq to protect the oil, control the Middle East, and counter Iran; and 6) install a compliant puppet government to maintain order and create an appearance of Iraqi cooperation in their subjugation.

All the rest of the blather about democracy and freedom was pure propaganda. These guys don't like democracy in our own country, let alone in third world countries.

Now if you look at those goals of the Bush administration (6 pillars?), all but one (the compliant puppet government maintaining order) has been accomplished. This is why Dick Cheney insists that there has been great success.

Re: 7 Pillars

This article brings up a huge point about the war that the administration and its jingoistic supporters won't admit -- the Iraqi's don't want democracy.

Democracy is a luxury for those of us who have food, water and shelter.

We can argue that we are a rich country because of our democracy. We can argue that the best system of government is ours. But, really, if you had to choose between voting and feeding your children, which would you do?

First, thanks for the links to Lt. Col. Trebilcock's article. It certainly has given me a sense that someone in the Army is thinking. But, ...

I've had overnight to think about this article. While there is, in my opinion, a lot of good in it, there is also something that has been nagging at my mind since.

I am absolutely NOT an expert on the Middle East, but I know enough to understand that all Mideastern people are not Arabs. I also believe, though in my ignorance I am less certain, that all Arabs do not have the Bedouin culture.

I would have to do some research, but I believe that Iran and Iraq are the area from which much civilization rose and flourished. The cities and kings of the Bible were flourishing long before any European culture. These are not Arabs. That's one of our arrogant fallacies, that all peoples in the Mideast are of one culture.

All that does not necessarily negate all that Trebilcock writes, but it certainly shows that he has at least one of his pillars wrong. Iraq is not, or at least is not completely, Bedouin. In fact, I seem to remember reading some time ago that the Bedouin and other cultures clashes are ancient themselves and the current clashes are only a continuation.

So, while I still believe that Lt. Col Trebilcock has some excellent points, he may be basing them on an incorrect premise. I would rather have something like this from someone who is Mideastern. From him, it seems erroneous, and in need to further study.

Brian you link to the Lt Col Trebilcock article was a surprise, but a very good one.

I sent the link to fifty friends and associates, and I wrote about it on my Newsroom blog [ http://newsroom.lookie.us/Newsroom-Blog/ ] because you were so open about sharing it with so many who know little of what we face at Baghdad.

You did your country a good service by publicizing the article, and, as one who critiques and writes about broadcast news, I hope that the insight you and others have garnered from the seven pillars will aid in telling the story through new eyes.

Richard's very special. I too would like to pull his passport and keep him somewhere safe for a while, but I suspect he would wiggle out. Our prayers surround him and his family

The 7 pillars article was powerful. I'm still not sure where we go in Iraq. Just before I read the 7 pillars article, I had read Major Strong's blog. He is in Afghanistan at the KMTC and was discussing the differences in cultures. Reading the two discussions at about the same time makes me believe that maybe some real world thought processes are getting out, now. I'm not sure where it all leads us in the wars, but I believe that more light just has to be better.

Thank you for the link to the "Pillars" article. I fail to believe the some of the best minds on either side of this issue have not read "The Seven Pillars of Wisdom" written by a.k.a. Lwarence of Arabia. It seems our present situation has been lacking in wisdom. Perhaps it is not too late to gain a bit of that. Former OPEC minister, and Minister of Planning in Saudi Arabia, Hisam Nazer, also wrote yet another book I fail to believe the the best minds did not read...the title is a bit long, however there is great food for thought there, both presently and retrospectively.

Thanks for writing Jack, Yes, I had heard that the democrats pulled the language prohibiting an attack on Iran at the behest of the Israeli lobby! Now why would such one-sided colonialism be upsetting to the Arab people I wonder??

Brian, I have a problem with the whole premise of that Seven Pillars argument. “Why can’t the greatest military force on earth impose a politically acceptable finale to the Iraq war?” Because it wasn’t trying to prevent an Iraqi civil war, IT WAS HOPING FOR ONE, as a way to destabilize the entire region and give them the excuse they need for a much broader war with IRAN. To only send 150K troops (not even enough to fill two football stadiums) to secure a country the size of CALIFORNIA widely know for its sectarian tensions was a DELIBERATE attempt to “divide and concur” as all such colonial endeavors wish to do. The whole premise of the argument is flawed on those grounds.

Thanks for the link to the article. It SHOULD be required reading for every person in this country, from common citizen right up to the top in DC. It only reinforces what I have said all along, the world does not revolve around the United States, we have absolutely no business attempting to impose our form of democracy (such as it is these days) on any other country, and anyway, why should we be so arrogant as to think that we have the only answer to how other countries should be goverened and live? This administration has absolutely no regard for cultures that are not the norm to our way of thinking and I find it appaling that we are being led, sorry, should have said, misled, by an administration of individuals that apparently has blinders on when it comes to any idea other than their own narrow pathway. I fully support our women and men serving in the military over there, they are doing their job and for that I commend them. But I cry every time I hear about another family that will not be able to have that soldier come home alive. This war has gone on too long, has cost us too much in human resources as well as financial commitment, and there is no way we can win (whatever that might mean). We have got to stop the madness and realize we are doing no one a favor by remaining there. The person sitting in the oval office, has no more business being there today than he did when he was first not elected to be there. War is never the answer.

I saw Richard's documentary last night. I hope more Americans take the time to view it. Excellent job Richard! I just hope we can bring our troops and journalists home soon!

It's a shame we don't get better coverage of the war on most news shows -- especially showing the true cost of the war on our brave soldires and their families, the cost to the Iraqi people, and the disgraceful war profiteering and thievry that has taken place in Iraq. Because if the all of the network news organizations really depicted the war as it is -- we'd have most of our troops home now.

Last night NBC Nightly missed several stories, all of which have interesting historic ramifications that will persist long after the current kerfuffle over "Gonzalezgate" has become a footnote in history books.

First of all, did you know that Gov. Blanco has opted not to run for re-election--which leaves the race for Louisiana's governorship wide open? This is seen as being good news because it means that Blanco can take pro-active steps to bring about recovery without people saying she's doing it so she can be re-elected. And this may sound ironic because I tend to vote Democratic--but were I a Louisiana resident I'd vote for Jindal, who's Republican. I wonder if having a GOP member in power would enable Louisiana to get the rebuilding help she needs, which she has had difficulty getting under Blanco, from the Bush Administration. Reason being, Mississippi Gov. Barbour, a staunch GOP member, has been able to get a far better deal regarding recovery aid than has Louisiana, which suffered 80% of the storm damage. This is sad because storm recovery should be handled in a bi-partisan manner on the basis of need alone--but it hasn't worked out that way under the Bush Administration.

Secondly, did you know that--per new Census Bureau figures, the population of Orleans Parish is less than 1/2 that prior to Katrina--and that of St. Bernard Parish is less than 1/4 what it was prior to Katrina?

Thirdly, did you know that the health care crisis in New Orleans is so bad, nurses are being imported from places such as India and the Philippines? These would be an especially compelling topic for a piece in the "Whose America?" series.

And last but not least, here's something the Bush Administration doesn't want Americans to know about. Did you know that according to a report by "Team Louisiana," a group of independent scientists, the federal government and the Army Corps of Engineers owe storm survivors for levee failures. Per their report, the levees had been built 40-60% too low because the Corps underestimated the power of the surges and that the levees had not been built to withstand water going over the top of the levees--which eroded the levees and floodwalls, causing them to fail. According to Ivor Van Heerden, "Team Louisiana" leader, the Corps "never communicated to the public that these were under-designed; built too low." "Team Louisiana" has called for the creation of an "8/29 Commission" to examine how mistakes were made, passage of legislation to ensure the federal government pays for coastal restoration and protection in full, and compensation for all citizens from the federal government, which needs to supply the resources to rebuild New Orleans infrastructure.

I couldn't resist I stayed up for Richard Engel's documentary last night (so I'm a zombie at the office today). I found it riveting and insightful with a raw edge that we normally do not see of the Iraq coverage.

That said I believe there is a 5th level (Richard talked about 4 levels of acceptance relative to being in Iraq). The 5th level is the having stayed too long -- you've used up your 9 lives and are on borrowed time. After seeing just a hint of what Richard and many of the other journalists go through in living in Iraq I fear that Richard Engel is in or close to the 5th level. The war is going to go on whether or not he is there. The belief that he must be there to cover it, basically that nobody else can do it at the same level as he can is most dangerous. Is it possible that he has resigned himself to dying in Iraq? I truly hope not.

Regardless of how long Richard Engel ultimately stays in Iraq, he is now a changed man. As he said in the documentary he has seen things/carnage that quite honestly humans are not meant to see. Like our military heroes, I believe our journalists are or will experience post traumatic shock disorder and will need professional help in coping with what they have experienced as they pick up the pieces of their lives. I hope that the fine people at NBC realize this and insist on providing their journalists with the best the medical profession has to offer.

I still believe that a covert mission to lift Richard Engel's passport is a great idea. We just do not want him to become another casualty of this hideous war. As always our prayers and best wishes go with him.

An excellent article. My quick "modern seven pillars" for the U.S. -- 1. We, the American people, are a people not a civilization 2. We are therefore not inclined or equipped to maintain an empire 3. Our nation is primarily inland, and to us a navy is something tacked on 4. We still use the army as we did during the pacification of American Indians ("search and destroy") 5. Other peoples admire our generosity, our sense humor and our love of justice, but our elected officials have none of those qualities 6. To entertain ourselves, we pretend our government is essentially the same as were the governments of Washington, Lincoln and the Roosevelts 7. Like all other peoples, we choose our rulers from among a few families, but we use democracy to change exactly which families.

Chris, the Democrats pulled the language prohibiting an attack on Iran at the behest of the Israeli lobby. This administration remains full of people like Bolton and Cheney who still believe that military force solves problems, and that protecting Israel is just as important as protecting the US. Somehow this isn't considered treason.

Thank you for the link to this insightful article. There is much debate about supporting the troops or patriotism, or letting the terrorists win, but very little on the dilemma of waging a war with an enemy that doesn't think like you.

The Soviets learned this lesson in Afghanistan, the US in Viet Nam, and the British in Iraq 80 years ago. In order to win this "war" we must first understand what is driving the insurgents and terrorists.

"Winning hearts and minds" won't happen by brute force. It will be a slow process and it will happen by securing and stabilizing the way of life and culture, not of Americans, but of the Iraqis and their neighbors.

To those of you who read this article, please check out Joel Rayburn's "Last Exit from Iraq" in the Foreign Affairs Journal (Mar/Apr 2006) and Leslie Gelb's Op-ed "The Three State Solution" in the NY Times on November 23, 2003. They are also good insights into the state of mind of the Iraqi people.

The Modern Seven Pillars of Iraq is an excellent and accurate read. Too bad Cheney & Rove refuse to read it. Hopefully, Brian & the rest of NBC News is more optimistic than I am that one of the two Bush ears will open up and take the Pillars more seriously.

Seven Pillars- We need to have someone read this to Bush and Cheney. First, be sure and explain to Bush that it is not a reference to the seven "pillars" he sleeps on each night. Personally, I feel that this is already common knowledge to this administration, but that they have blatantly chosen to ignore the fact that these cultural differences are why we should not still be involved in this "civil" war. As the article shows, many are only tolerating our presence. It has nothing to do with them wanting the "democracy" that Bush and Cheney are using as an excuse to "hang in there". Recently there were news stories about many/most Iraq troops not having been paid for months. This article echoed the fact that many only show up for inconsistent periods, and that many who do, use the prestige of being a soldier to intimidate the local Iraq people. We've been there too long, and we are starting to really piss them off with our presence now. Remember when they voted and had to dip their fingers in the purple dye? Wonder what finger they're holding up behind our backs now?

Brian,
Thank you for bringing this article to our attention. It was a very good article.
To bad our Gov't insists on being willfully ignorant on Iraq and any other issue that comes up. It would be very unreasonable for us to ask our President to read an article or understand history.
We don't have a prayer in the world on this war. It will be lost because of willful ignorance. That should be an impeachable offense.

The Modern Seven Pillars of Iraq,if this story is true, then I think I will have to change my mind on the war, sometimes we americans forget that the world was here be us, and we cannot force on interest on the world, but again are we ready for what is to come.

Thanks for addressing the views of the people of America. It is wonderful to be able to voice our opinions. Without reading the entire article, I realize that the average person does not have enough information to for a hypothesis on the war. What it boils down to is your personal belief and the capability of the government to sell the war.

I was, until this evening, a viewer impressed with what seems to be your balanced approach of your nightly newscast. However, your piece tonight on "immigration" gave me cause for grave concern. First, let's call a spade a spade. These aren't simply "immigrants" and the issue isn't simply "immigration" or the new buzzword "open migration", it's ILLEGAL immigration. These folks (nice as they may be) are what were called in less politically correct days...ILLEGAL aliens. Please be very careful to use the word "illegal" when discussing this issue. To do otherwise is to sanitize and politicize the issue. Isn't that exactly what proper journalism should avoid at all costs?

I've noticed this subtle but critically incorrect terminolgy used before on the broadcast but when it's used in conjunction with heart rending visuals of children potentially left without adult caregivers, it becomes a political statement.

Brian,

I'm excited about the documentary tonight.

You guys should promote his book "Fist in the Hornet's Nest" -- it is a thoroughly interesting account of his journey in Iraq

Brian,

I'm excited about the documentary tonight.

You guys should promote his book "Fist in the Hornet's Nest" -- it is a thoroughly interesting account of his journey in Iraq