Article

2004-12-15 Arabia

Imprisoned Soddy al-Qaeda treated like family

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Posted by Dan Darling 2004-12-15 9:50:53 AM|| || Front Page|| [5 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 I've started, and abandoned, a reply to this story 4 times. There is something in this article that illuminates a fundamental difference between Arab-think and Western-think (at least the rational / logical variety I consider "normal"), but I am having a hell of a time expressing it satisfactorily.

I'll say this: Yagoub Average Saudi will prolly believe what he sees if the context is "right" - i.e. fits with what he would expect to see were it true. The correct staging, hitting the right visual symbolic cues, will, indeed, succeed in bringing some of these guys in. It's a lot like the memes that have driven most of us semi-crazy for the last year. They buy memes in a heartbeat, by the bucket - it's why they're such big fans of conspiracy shit. Create and present your meme well, hitting the right buttons, and the context will fall away presently and they'll follow it anywhere. This is, of course, unacceptable in Western-style logic and rational / critical thinking for the validity depends upon the context of the idea. (Exception: "c" - the speed of light, heh...) Think about how OBL uses "Crusader" or how CP Abdullah can simply blame it on the Jooos, almost utterly devoid of context - because the listener, with his vast cultural store of what-to-think info, not how-to-think tools, will just parrot the pre-digested meme subtext and fill in whatever is needed to justify the meme... and now you can fill in some of the gaps I'm leaving with this perfectly rotten explanation, lol!

I don't want to write a book, so I surrender, lol! Contribute your own explanation, expats, but don't nit-pick - I've already admitted failure and will curse your ancestry for being petty and gutless!

Posted by .com 2004-12-15 12:06:53 PM|| 2004-12-15 12:06:53 PM|| Front Page Top

#2 If the bad boyz flock to gaol as a result of this propaganda, I'm fer it.

If the Soddies are just using this as bait to test the effectiveness of the brainwashing, I'm agin it.

But it smells, either way.

Posted by Seafarious 2004-12-15 12:53:41 PM|| 2004-12-15 12:53:41 PM|| Front Page Top

#3 What do you mean "like"?
Looks like repenting season's coming soon.

Posted by tu3031 2004-12-15 12:59:11 PM|| 2004-12-15 12:59:11 PM|| Front Page Top

#4 .com the problem must be imbedded in the languge.

Posted by Shipman 2004-12-15 5:29:29 PM|| 2004-12-15 5:29:29 PM|| Front Page Top

#5 I'm with .com. This is a bit difficult for my western mind to absorb, especially if it works.

Posted by Tom 2004-12-15 7:18:21 PM|| 2004-12-15 7:18:21 PM|| Front Page Top

#6 Heh, we're terminally suspicious - Madison Ave has been trying to sell us "New!" and "Improved!" for more than a generation, now. That has made many of us (approx 51% in last national polling cycle, heh) very tough-minded tough-sells. This silly sappy shit wouldn't get to first base with any real TV-fed American, lol!

Posted by .com 2004-12-15 7:23:23 PM|| 2004-12-15 7:23:23 PM|| Front Page Top

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