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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: c.hinton who wrote (238473)	8/1/2007 11:11:23 AM
From: one_less	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

I tend toward agreement with Kumar on this, to some extent. In my conversations with and observations of Arabs, I've noticed there is plenty of room for working things out but it definitely requires a negotiater who understands their system. For example: As this conversation progressed... "I was talking to an Arab once who was trying to understand Americans better. He asked, “why do you people say ‘maybe’ so often? Something is either true or it is not.” " Message 23749963 I explained what I thought was a reasonable function of the term 'maybe'... I am not an All Knowing Allah, so it is reasonable for me to speculate that something may or may not be true until I have further information. Arab: Why don't you tell the truth and say you don't know, instead of lieing and saying it may be true. Me: Because if I know it maybe true, it is truthful for me to say 'maybe.' Then I can seek more information to confirm or refute the issue. Arab: If you say you don't know, you are obligated to go to someone or some source with the truth and seek the correct answer. Notes: So now we are practically saying the same thing but I am being called a liar for using the term 'maybe'. I've also noted that Arabs use the term 'liar' any time they get information that turns out to be incorrect or inadequate. Mistakes, miscommunication, lack of information is inexcusable when you are negotiating with an Arab. That is why they rely so much on experts, and scholars to decide things. Barring that, they pick an Amir for their group and they agree to abide by his directions (part of the reason tyranny is so rampant IMO). However, no one who cooperates ends up being wrong or labeled a liar. This is stereotyped, not true of all, and IMO of course. If someone gets their system, negotiation does work; but as Nadine said, it is complicated and different than American cooperation and compromise. If you listen to their conversations in the market place they start out very respectfully calling each other sheik and greeting each other in peace. Then move to calling each other a thief and a liar and sounding ready to draw sabors, then they come to an agreement on price and start kissing before parting.