Cultural Intelligence
In order to improve our chances of winning the hearts and minds of ordinary Iraqis, the Marine Corps Intelligence Activity (MCIA) has distributed "Iraq Culture Smart Cards" to our soldiers that enummerate Iraqi cultural idiosyncrasies and the corresponding rules of politeness.
In examining the card, I'm impressed by its comprehensiveness and good sense.
However, I would suggest the following minor additions:
- Don't put women's underwear on Iraqi men, make them feign masturbation or homosexual sex in public, or force them to form human pyramids while naked. These are signs of disrespect.
- Don't attach electrodes to the genitals of Iraqis. This is considered both painful and demeaning.
- For Iraqis, weddings are peaceful, happy celebrations. Therefore, it's considered out of place for a wedding party to include a military flyover with bombs.
Postscript: There's a peculiar aspect to the print edition of this article. On the cover of the "Week in Review" section within which it is printed, the list of contents at the bottom of the page mentions the article: "Word for Word: U.S. soldiers in Iraq learn manners amid the mayhem."
Next to the caption is a picture similar to the ones found on the "Smart Card," only this one shows a fellow who looks like Saddam working with dynamite, clocks, tape and scissors with a caption that reads "Bomb Maker."
I suppose the editor thought that this picture, more than any other, shows what the "Iraq Culture Smart Card" is really about.
12:19:22 AM 
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