Historical views on the Middle East and their impact on the future of the region and U.S interests particularly from a political-military perspective with emphasis on the cultural factors.
Permission is granted to use the blog entries so long as they are properly attributed and not taken out of context. Otherwise contact me directly.
Greetings.
*** Your presentation to the 2016 ASMEA conference “Checking the Blocks” resonated especially with me because of similar experience when on faculty and conducting / facilitating what was (in 1979) the Middle East Regional Seminar portion of the graduate-level FAO Course (FAOC), then in the Department of Area Studies (DAS) at USAJFKSWCS.
*** Surprised and saddened to read about how that regional studies seminar became gradually diluted and shrunken / morphed / rebranded during your time there.
*** Appreciate the references to Rafael Patai’s book. His book also quotes and cites an earlier related book _Temperament and Character of the Arabs_ by Dr. Sonya Hamady (Lebanese-American psychiatrist, based in Florida, as I recall).
*** The US Marines — unlike many of the U.S. Army units you and I have advised at various bases over the years — show the opposite of a “check the block” approach to learning and mastering the cultural and suitable behavioral aspects of their country-specific pre-deployment training programs (PTPs).
If interested, can send you two fairly-recent MBA theses by Gulf Arab (Emirati) grad students in the U.S. on cultural aspects and dynamics of collective decision-making.
*** Really enjoying these posts, and thanks for sending a “heads up” note with link to here.
Best regards,
Steve
San Pedro, California
Just discovered your site. We must have crossed paths sometime in the region. Great stuff!
Rick Francona (www.rickfrancona.com)
Thanks Rick. Been reading your stuff over the years. Very well done. I see you have a blog so I’ll be reading it as well. Cheers tex