CNN - U.S. Army helps officers learn Arabic, international business

[Dr Batsen D Belfry]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/02/06/army.arabic.ap/index.html

<SNIP>
The officers -- on track to lead troops again, most likely in the Middle East -- are part of a pilot program that is sending 21 Army officers to graduate school to learn about foreign cultures, business practices and languages, such as Arabic.

The Army wants its leaders armed with solid skills to help them navigate road signs, engineering plans and simple conversations.

"We're trying to develop officers to be strategic thinkers and creative managers...who are culturally aware and have some language capability," says Col. Mark Patterson, who's in charge of policy for developing the Army officer corps.
</SNIP>

Cart meet horse. Brilliant strategy of sending all our troops to the Middle East, the vast majority of whom have no experience in Middle East cultures, languages, and philosophies.

Well, damn George! Ever hear of Sun Tzu and the Art of War? Probably never read it because you can't pronounce the name Sun Tzu.

</rant>

DBDB

[pocket]

1. can you get an MBA in genocide?

.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

2. Picking up the white man's burden by learning the "culture".

How to say, "We own you" and "Get to work" in the natives' own language. Who could ask more from a "democracy"?