Why is the GOI so slow?

[cardinal sin]

I ran across this and thought it might give some insight on the way our Iraqi friends do business. What we have been calling "vacation" is more accurately this type of social meeting where business is discussed. It's from Wikipedia and I know that medium can be suspect, but in this case, it's probably okay IMO:

The Dewaniya, mistakenly and commonly called Diwaniya, has existed in Kuwait since time immemorial. In the old City of Kuwait it was the reception area where a man received his business colleagues and male guests. Today the term refers both to a reception hall and the gathering held in it, and visiting or hosting a dewaniya is an indispensable feature of a Kuwaiti man’s social life. Some claims that the term originally referred to the section of a bedouin tent where the menfolk and their visitors sat apart from the family.

So, the GOI doesn't really go on vacation, they meet and discuss and very probably decide on the issues over tea in an age old traditional way. When they all show up for the scheduled Governmental meetings, everything has already been decided. I thought it was interesting and somewhat helps us understand how they do things.

Oils' a pumpin', M be a-jumpin', I be smellin' somethin', and it's called RV!

[TimS]

Who says the GOI is slow? By what standards are we judging their performance, I certainly hope not by ours (US).

Two things to remember:

1. This is the first time in 3000 years that this area of the world is even trying to govern by democracy......that's 3000 years, we've only been at it for less than 10% of that time. The country is made up of large factions that don't trust each other, let alone the meddling outsiders such as US, Iran, Europe and others......I think they are making great progress considering all they have to absorb and deal with

2. The US so called efficient operation of government includes lame duck congresses, corruption at every level, trillion dollar deficits, bankrupt city and states, politicians who cater to lobbyists over their own taxpayer constituents, Obamacare, and the list can go on forever.....so why would you say the GOI is slow?

JMO

[cardinal sin]

Sorry Tim - I realize it's taken this country 200+ years to get to it's present state and I also believe the Iraqis are doing incredible things in a very short period of time. I had noticed on some other posts, fellow DV'rs questioned the Iraqi work schedule and why they were "out of the office" so much. Just trying to participate in a positive way.

[Upgradable]

Cardinal Sin, I appreciate your explanation of the traditional processes of discussing business in the ME. Thank you for sharing it.

[cardinal sin]

Thx Upgradable. I'm learning it takes guts to post anything here. Maybe next time I'll post some History of the Rothschild/Illuminati links. Now that'd get some blood pumping.

Go RV!

[Carrello]

Cardinal Sin, thank for the information. I must say that I have been critical of their "vacations" but this information makes sense. Actually, when our politicos come together with a statement, or a policy, or perhaps a foreign dignitary has a visit to discuss a certain policy, the decisions have already been made. What we see are just the photo ops. So our political culture is much the same. Although, we do include women 'in the tent'.

And I would say to those that are critical of the ME way of life, camels, tents, blah, blah, blah, I would examine what progress really means. Just because the rest of the world is not like us, they don't look or dress like us, they don't have the same values as us, that does not make them wrong.

Many peoples live very happily, enjoy the simplest aspect of life, live and take just what they need from the earth. I am not talking about countries that have been plundered or exploited. There are many cultures that do not have cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and life strangling stress.

Look at the commercials on TV. How many are for pharmaceuticals that span everything from leg pain to dysfunctional libido. And if you read the bottle, if your prescription does not kill you, the side effects will. Our society is so fixated on material things (in general, not all people) and do not care what they do to the earth to get what they want. If you bought a brand new car, rolled up the windows and slept in for a week, the chemicals would probably give you brain damage. That doesn't happen with a camel.

We are stressing out over getting a good return on our investment that is just taking way toooooooo long, so we can quit jobs we hate. I have waited way too long to make a few million. It has been at least 3 months! I am as guilty as anyone.

Just my two cents. Looks like we are into the Iraq weekend. I hope everyone at DV has a good weekend.

[Sage449]

TimS - actually this has been going on longer than 3,000 years - been going on since Abraham begat Ishmael and at Sarah's insistence kicked Haggar & Ishmael to the curb!

[bluejay]

Great insight, but it sickens me that these people can sip tea while people have nothing living in dirt.....That make me so angry that I want to say things like eliminate the whole race....Sorry...But come on sip tea.....