Corsair the Rational Pirate

Dumb-Ass, Know Nothing Teens

A group of knowitall teens from America meets up with kids from Iraq and get a lesson in reality:

This year, though, for the first time, they included five students from Iraq. Not surprisingly, some of the most interesting lessons were happening outside the seminars.

"These guys walk up to me and they say, 'Do you hate us?' " said Zahra'a Khalil Muhssin, 16, a dark-eyed girl from Baghdad with red-framed glasses. "They think we hate them."

Ghazwan Majid, a tall, mustachioed 17-year-old from Baghdad, affected a convincing American surfer's drawl to imitate the question he kept getting: "Heyyy, what's goin' on there in Iraq?"

"When they watch the media, they think it's only bombs," said Diana Rudha, 16. "They are surprised when I tell them there's progress."

Progress? We know there is no progress because the news and the Democrats and moveon.org and Michael Moore told us that there is no progress. Iraqis lived in a paradise until the imperialist Halliburtons showed up to rape the women and steal the oil... Isn't the right?

Just over a year ago, the teenagers spent a month of sleepless nights as missile shells exploded near their homes during the war in Iraq. Since then, they have endured fears of bombings and kidnappings and the other signs of an unstable nation. Most have lost friends or relatives to the violence -- including a government official who had helped coordinate their trip.

Yet they are also enjoying the vigorous debate newly allowed in classrooms that no longer have Saddam Hussein's visage staring down from the walls or up from the pages of every textbook. And this week -- thanks to a donation from Halliburton, the controversial contractor involved in the rebuilding of Iraq -- they were able to enjoy the American traditions of overachieving teens: late-night rap sessions and question-and-answer panels, talent shows and group cheers.

Gee, you mean Halliburton made this all possible? Must be some kind of trick. And anyway the US imperialists must want to brainwash them into becoming little McDonalds consumers.. That is why they took down the Saddam pics.. or something.

Not to mention all the hugging. In the lobby of the student center at George Washington University one night, an ambassador in a cowgirl hat suddenly screamed "Ghazwan!" and just threw her arms around Majid, who gamely reciprocated before she skipped away.

"I've learned so much about the life of the teenagers in America!" Muhssin marveled a few minutes later. In Iraq, explained Ahmed Alrawi, 17, "you cannot hug a girl."

And that, ladies and gentlemen is the definition of repression. Girls are made to be hugged and anyone who says otherwise is a tool. (Boys, I suppose are made to be hugged too, but it is a hell of a lot nicer hugging girls... when you are a boy, of course).

And, in fact, American students said they found their Iraqi counterparts to be a highlight of the week.

"It's so cool," declared Carrie Shoultz, 16, of Eagan, Minn., as she lingered around the Iraqis' dinner table. "I oppose the war, but I thought it would be good to get it from the horse's mouth."

And what had she found? Majid asked wryly.

"That [the Iraqis] were pretty split," Shoultz said. "I thought they didn't like us [Americans] -- I wanted to hear that they didn't like us. But then you got Ali here . . . who supports Bush!"

What must is be like to be so young, so full of promise and open futures, and be so wrong? I suppose she will need to grow up at some point and see that the world is not like it is presented on the democraticunderground or other head-in-the-sand sites that she most likely visits on the intraweb. And what kinda shit is this: "I wanted to hear that they didn't like us"!??! WTF? You are so down on America with your Hate America First crowd that you naturally thought the rest of the world agrees with you. And when you get someone who has been freed from unimaginable evil show support for the one man in the world willing to make the call to take out the bad guy you can't believe it! Why would anyone support Bush? You know Bush Lied People Died and No Blood For Oil!

What? There are Iraqis that actually like him? That is not what Michael Moore said!

Hopefully something like this will open this little suburban girls eyes, she will go back and tell a few of her belly-showing friends and maybe someone will start to think and not just parrot whatever the latest bumper sticker slogan is.

Or am I too optimistic?

posted by corsair the rational pirate at 10:17

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