The other day, lazing about watching TV on a Saturday morning, this dude, with the biggest red hair I have ever seen on a guy, Ian Klaus, gets introduced on Good morning America as Chelsea Clinton’s ex-boyfriend. Then, as the host goes on, our red-headed friend is further presented as the hero of all heroes for volunteering to travel to teach Iraqis the American culture and language despite the war and security issues that followed the invasion.
It is true that in every invasion, the invader imposes his culture and language on the invadee. However, the pretentious redhead was just way over the top by saying that he was on a mission to teach Iraqis culture.
Mr. Klaus had to enlighten young Iraqis who had long-suffered from Saddam’s oppression and the embargo on Iraq in order to quench their thirst about the western culture, as it is the only culture from which it is worth to be enlightened.
It is true that in every invasion, the invader imposes his culture and language on the invadee. However, the pretentious redhead was just way over the top by saying that he was on a mission to teach Iraqis culture.
Mr. Klaus had to enlighten young Iraqis who had long-suffered from Saddam’s oppression and the embargo on Iraq in order to quench their thirst about the western culture, as it is the only culture from which it is worth to be enlightened.
Once dear Mr. Klaus got to the Kurdish area of Iraq, his first task was to assess to what extent are his students well-informed about the American culture and language, specifically, American pop culture. It was to the host’s amazement is that those poor Iraqis did not know who Frank Sinatra was! Their only two facts about American pop-culture were Elvis and the Titanic (which is British by the way).
This explains how Mr. Klaus arrived at the title of his Iraqi memoirs "Elvis is Titanic".
Well, to explain my disdain at the whole interview, it should be known to the uninformed audience is that Kurdistan Iraq has received its chance to behave as separate country within greater Iraq, where security is at its highest strength, schools sing the Kurdish Anthem and sport its flag. In other words, what you see in the news does not occur in Kurdistan.
Moreover, not many people around the world would know who Frank Sinatra is, heck, ask an American 14 year-old and you may not get an affirmative answer! Every nation has its own culture. Getting acquainted with the culture of others does not mean that you are culture-less or viceversa.
It is quite a shame to hear such logic in the 21st century, especially when an intruder of 200+ years invaded a nation that is as old as existence itself.
Therefore, Mr. Klaus, please do not tell us how to survive, for we have survived long before you even existed.
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