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September 2006 Archives
September 27, 2006
Iraq Despair
I have to be careful here, but I was on the phone with an acquiantance in finance who is twiddling his thumbs in the Green Zone while pulling down a six digit salary "advising" the Americans on financial sector development. It was a depressing call, the sole take-away was his observation "no one seems to believe in success now, no one is going out on a limb because they all expect that they'll be leaving on a helo and facing inquiries as to how this managed to be so bad." Close paraphrase, from my scribbles.
It is time for the Americans to realise they have lost, again. Dragging this out for more years, pointlessly like they did in Vietnam, pointlessly like the French did in Algeria long after the failure was obvious to any rational observer does nothing. Nothing but waste resources and lives. At present the American administration is playing the role of the Allied generals at the Verdun and Somme, pushing ahead without any rational reflexion on its strategy, posturing that to question the American idiocy at present is to be soft on the neo-Salafi nihilists and their terror networks, denying the reality the problem is not that, but their failed conceptualisation and general incompetence.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 08:26 PM
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Iraq
September 26, 2006
The MBC cartoon
Fellow Arab Sat watchers, can someone tell me the name of that Ramadan cartoon on MBC that just started running, the one with the evil US empire bombing and snatching innocent schmoes?
Caught it twice now.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 11:46 PM
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MENA Region General
Dubai tapping out the logic
I am about to fly out of that strange theme park for construction towers and glad to do so.
While I have been convinced of Dubai's logic in the past, it seems fairly clear that the flood of liquidity and declining planning discipline (1.2 hour to go 1 KM at 8pm?) are beginning to kill the tree that bears the golden fruit. Rather like the gardener who mistakenly thinks more water is always good, so Dubai seems to be mistaking more growth as always good.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 09:14 PM
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Biz - Policy & Development
Small Satisfactions
A small bit of satisfaction from traveling with illiterate country people who have never been on an aircraft before. Watching an old woman panicking in trying to exit the toilet, the only downside to her hysterics being the toilet going out of service.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 08:41 PM
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Perso
September 25, 2006
Decisions, not faux decisions. Alternatives, not faux alternatives
Normally the blog, the atrociously named but nevertheless readable Glittering Eye does not irritate me sufficiently to post something on it. However, today it did. Plus I have Ramadan insomnia.
Continue reading "Decisions, not faux decisions. Alternatives, not faux alternatives"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 10:29 PM
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MENA Region General
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Politics - US FP
US Air Travel
Have to fly shortly to the US of A for some business. Would rather not, but there it is.
Can anyone direct me to a current summary of the idiotic American regs designed to give pants wetters a false sense of security while inconveniencing the maximum number of persons possible?
Posted by The Lounsbury at 09:47 PM
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MENA Region General
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Politics - US FP
September 24, 2006
Libyan Assets, American Capital
Rather preliminary, but nevertheless certain to provoke much ignorant comment, "Carlyle poised to bid for Libyan oil giant, says son of Gaddafi" reports The Independent.
The article reports " US private equity group with links to leading Republicans in talks to buy state-controlled Tamoil, valued at €3bn", which is plausible given The Carlyle Group's announced fund for the MENA region, which was very obviously aimed at these kinds of massive investments.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 09:10 AM
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Biz - Private in MENA
September 19, 2006
Psychology, Investing and Pressing Flesh
A general comment, but one I think useful from some perspectives on understanding investment flows (from an anectdotal perspective) in MENA as well as business practice.
Have been doing rather large number of meets w financial institutions in region, and have had the occasion to attend some multi-player mtgs that illustrated the key importance of pressing flesh, so to speak [or why face to face human contact is not replaceable], as well as the influence of cultural frameworks.
Continue reading "Psychology, Investing and Pressing Flesh"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 10:36 PM
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Biz - Private in MENA
September 17, 2006
The CPA Iraq, A Reconfirmation
It would hardly seem news, but this Washington Post article on how the Americans staffed the occupation of Iraq is nevertheless interesting; I of course know - even fairly well - many of the persons alluded to (I met that "24 year old" political twit, for example). The article is spot on as far as I experienced the deluded fools on the ground, the news I suppose is the American side process that led to the fiasco.
It is for these reasons I began calling the "convservatives" in the US "Right Bolsheviks" - the approach, the mentality is Bolshevik, not old school practical of the democratic western right.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 08:45 AM
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Iraq
September 16, 2006
Country People & Airports (Umra Inconveniences)
On the road as part of a futile flurry of activity, as all signs are that the Titanic has finally taken on enough water to go under. Thanks to airport Wi Fi, however, I can complain about travelling while packs of country bumpkins head off to do pilgrimage. While it is most uncharitable of me to say so, I hate travelling when a bunch of under-bathed farmers with the habits of farmers pack airports, jostling each other and me like a heard of semi-literate beasts. A decade or two ago, I would have found these scenes charming and picturesque. Now I am merely irritated and annoyed.
Of course besides the pilgrims, there are the West African contrabandiers whose gauche displays of gold and equally atrocious lack of public politeness get on my ever more sensitive nerves. I can in part excuse my irritation by at least identifying a public point of interest - the sharp elbows and lack of public order are all symptomatic of underlying issues that undermine economic growth.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 01:40 PM
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Perso Biz Notes
September 13, 2006
Buried
As I have noted in comments, afraid am buried in crisis work. Trying to save my morons from losing several million USD. Will resurface as soon as possible.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 08:21 PM
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Perso Biz Notes
