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AngryAmish

(25,704 posts)

37. Americans don't understand people from this part of the world

Tue Aug 12, 2014, 05:03 PM

Aug 2014

Folks who consider themselves smart think they know the region if they talk about shia v sunni. This is a completely facile understanding of these people.

This part of the world is completely tribal. The vast majority of folks marries their first or second cousin. This creates a strong in group before mi out group preference, down to the genetic level. They are insular and they are loyal to a nation of Iraq as they are to the Book of the Month Club, and they are not dying for either.

The old Iraqi army worked because the various units were not tribally diverse. And the old Iraqi army kinda sucked in battle.

The new Iraqi army was multicultural, multi tribal. They felt no loyalty to it but the checks were nice. So when the lead was in the air they Sir Robined at mach speed.

Western norms apply to the West. Iraq ain't the West. Stop pretending that it is.

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Seriously, what happened to the Iraq army we spent trillions on? [View all] grahamhgreen Aug 2014 OP

It's strange that ISIS are better trained and better equipped CJCRANE Aug 2014 #1

It actually is strange. Usually fanatics and maniacs don't come with shitloads of discipline, TwilightGardener Aug 2014 #8

There are reports that high-ranking Iraqi Sunni military officers went over to IS. amandabeech Aug 2014 #24

And the battle harded foreign fighters AngryAmish Aug 2014 #38

The Chechens are in northern Iraq? amandabeech Aug 2014 #40

Syria and Iraq is hot this year for that set. AngryAmish Aug 2014 #41

Well, they've surely given the Russians fits over the years. amandabeech Aug 2014 #44

Wherever there is a fight. AngryAmish Aug 2014 #46

How about Libya? n/t amandabeech Aug 2014 #47

Bush actually purged the Iraqi army of Sunnis. louis-t Aug 2014 #52

Then CNN is wrong. amandabeech Aug 2014 #59

I'm not sure how much training and discipline they have LordGlenconner Aug 2014 #27

I'm not surprised by it. Chan790 Aug 2014 #48

I agree on most points but their propaganda is on a whole new level. CJCRANE Aug 2014 #50

Baathists in ISIS? Capt. Obvious Aug 2014 #63

Strange bedfellows. Chan790 Aug 2014 #69

So the Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld cabal Turbineguy Aug 2014 #64

And I doubt they'll stay off Iran for long Capt. Obvious Aug 2014 #68

This time the media will attack the President at every turn for not launching more death and Fred Sanders Aug 2014 #2

FWIW... CJCRANE Aug 2014 #6

Bush did agree to the w/drawal date, but not until almost the merrily Aug 2014 #29

I'm starting to be of an opinion we shouldn't give a shit..... snooper2 Aug 2014 #3

I hate to feel like I'm leaning that way as well. Blue_Adept Aug 2014 #5

I think the end result will be Iran moves in and takes out the extremists. And winds up with souther grahamhgreen Aug 2014 #22

Hmm, this wasn't mentioned by the expert flamingdem Aug 2014 #53

We spent trillions, but not on the Army... joeybee12 Aug 2014 #4

So, in the end, we spent trillions to destabilize the Middle East, create misery for millions of grahamhgreen Aug 2014 #13

Pretty mcuh sums it up...nt joeybee12 Aug 2014 #23

For the plutocracy, this is a feature, not a bug. phantom power Aug 2014 #28

+1 merrily Aug 2014 #30

Taking no position on GTFO. Chan790 Aug 2014 #51

Amen grahamhgreen Aug 2014 #60

That is it in a nutshell. nt raouldukelives Aug 2014 #67

poli's & thei rich overlords used to make graft on construction etc. in their whome states/towns elehhhhna Aug 2014 #61

Their country is not the only fucked up country. What if that money had been spent on the USA? L0oniX Aug 2014 #7

Apparently, our Treasury is a bottomless pit, but only for our military endeavors. merrily Aug 2014 #32

Better question malaise Aug 2014 #9

Apparently, ISIS got a chunk. grahamhgreen Aug 2014 #14

Well without them malaise Aug 2014 #55

I don't know. I do know that arming and training the "good" Syrian rebels TwilightGardener Aug 2014 #10

Or what was then called ISIS or immoderate Sunnis amandabeech Aug 2014 #26

AFAIK we did arm Syrians. Whether they were "good" rebels or bad rebels only merrily Aug 2014 #33

Ref.: Vietnam. nm Eleanors38 Aug 2014 #11

+1 Johonny Aug 2014 #12

Or send wounded Vietnam vets Kerry and McCain there for a trade agreement, merrily Aug 2014 #35

I find the parallel between the brutal, psychotic, Khmer Rouge that emerged after we bombed grahamhgreen Aug 2014 #17

+1. Or Gaza. nt bemildred Aug 2014 #21

Ironically, the NV Army smashed the Khmer Rouge Eleanors38 Aug 2014 #43

They took them out of power in 1979. former9thward Aug 2014 #56

I'll concede that. Thanks. Eleanors38 Aug 2014 #58

They dropped their weapons and ran, that's what happened. bemildred Aug 2014 #15

Or the soldiers joined the IS RobertEarl Aug 2014 #16

That's what I'm really wondering... What percentage of ISIS are disaffected Iraqi military? grahamhgreen Aug 2014 #18

I'm sure they all just loved the US...? RobertEarl Aug 2014 #20

Quite a few of those too, no doubt. nt bemildred Aug 2014 #19

We spent it on something? I thought that the military industrial complex stole it all. Initech Aug 2014 #25

In the Middle East, zealous holy warriors prevail LittleBlue Aug 2014 #31

I'm pretty sure I saw many of them around El Cajon last year. Zorra Aug 2014 #34

See Haliburton, Blackwater, Worldwide Protective Services, etc CanonRay Aug 2014 #36

Americans don't understand people from this part of the world AngryAmish Aug 2014 #37

Unfortunately, many us here new this BEFORE we lost our blood and treasure in Iraq... As they say grahamhgreen Aug 2014 #62

Same thing that happens to everyone there. Codeine Aug 2014 #39

We set up a sectarian leader. sendero Aug 2014 #42

We gave it all to Blackwater, Halliburton, RAND, Bechtel, Trireme and other corporations Rex Aug 2014 #45

the kurds are outnumbered and less well armed La Lioness Priyanka Aug 2014 #49

How the f#ck could they be less well armed, if we'd actually been training and equipping them??? grahamhgreen Aug 2014 #65

we trained but did not give them heavy artillery as they are not officially part of the iraqi army La Lioness Priyanka Aug 2014 #70

The same thing that happened with the S. Vietnamese army, that we spent billions on. Paladin Aug 2014 #54

Decades of dictator rule affects a nation's psychology. DCBob Aug 2014 #57

Actually, it's been a millenia of tribal war.... grahamhgreen Aug 2014 #66