This guy’s been outside the US for too long!

I was reading a recent interview with Andrew Tabler, an American who’s spent the past 14 years in the Arab world, most prominently in Syria, and who’s about to take up a nicely funded fellowship at the AIPAC-founded ‘Washington Institute for Near East Policy. (HT: Josh Landis.)
There are a few interesting nuggets in the interview– though not as much useful information as you’ll find in Syria Today, the monthly magazine Tabler has edited for a few years now in Damascus, with much support from Syria’s “First Lady” (a quaint term that he himself actually uses), Mrs. Asma al-Asad.
So now Tabler is coming back to the US, where he says his goal is, “to try and make it so that whatever discussions come about are based on Syria as it is as well as what it could realistically be.” All well and good– though we could maybe explore a bit more what the meaning of “is” is?
But here’s the hilarious part of the interview:

    [Arabs] are a lot like Americans, especially from the countryside: very nice, personally very warm. On the surface, we’re very, very similar. But there are fundamental differences. The Arab world is badly ruled. Its rulers are not accountable to their people, and they often make very bad decisions…

Unlike Americans???
Here’s a guy who was not in the US during the lead-up to the Iraq war. Not in the country during Hurricane Katrina. Had still not– when he gave this interview– come to the US during the current– still accelerating– financial meltdown…
Welcome back to the United States, Andrew.

17 thoughts on “This guy’s been outside the US for too long!”

  1. Thomas Jefferson might say that a country is not supposed to be subject to a ruler, or a Decider, but rather it should be be a democracy with consensual decisions made by the people through their representatives.
    When you do get a ruler/decider, as the US system now apparently is, you also get bad decisions that favor the ruling elite and their well-connected profiteers, which is where the US is now. So I guess the Arab rulers that Tabler referred to have exported their authoritarianism to the US?
    In the US, authoritarianism now has a fancy label, by the way. It’s now called Executive Privilege. It was raised to new levels by Bush and it shows no signs of abating as currently we all are forced to look for signs of what PE Obama, the new ruler, will decide to do on a host of subjects. Why do we have a congress anyhow.
    The US government doesn’t have CAS aircraft circling overhead, but it does have a brigade of infantry now training to use Tasers against any domestic miscreants. No need for 2,000 pound bombs, yet.

  2. Helena
    “First Lady” (a quaint term that he himself actually uses), Mrs. Asma al-Asad.
    This was an unnecessarily condescending slight.
    Many people in Damascus refer to Mrs Asad as “The First Lady” which she is. It takes a little time to get used to it but it shows respect to the family of a Head of State.
    Laura Bush is the “The First Lady” but only between California and Maine.

  4. Look, I don’t mean any disrespect to anyone. But on feminist, egalitarian, and anti-nepotism grounds I just find it highly inappropriate– especially in a republic– to give any formal designation to someone who happens to the spouse of a leader. (And if the female spouse, then why not let’s have the First Brother, the First Brother-in-Law and all the rest of the relations while we’re about it?)
    Should we think that being Ms. Susie Spouse-of should be the highest thing a woman should aspire to? To me a “First” lady would be a ruler in her own right.
    Alternatively, I suppose we could all just reinstate the institution of monarchy and invent a whole slew of designations, titles, etc (useful for fundraising, too! ask Lord Levey!) like, um, “Duke of Edinburgh”, “Lord Mountbatten” etc etc.
    Or we could all just go play out our fantasies in a local production of Gilbert & Sullivan…
    Meanwhile, back in the misruled US, the main topic of this post, we are already starting to have lots of discussion about “the first African-American First Lady.” Poor Michele Obama.

  5. That is where the analogies on bad rulers end. While we have kicked out the bad rulers Syria has a ruker until death does them apart, just like his father, oh and you overlook that Andrew goes on to say that in Syria The political opposition has largely been imprisoned.
    I have no idea who Tabler is, but it seems like his expertise can be put to a good use. Unless there is jealousy at work and Helena was angling for that job I do not see why the sarcasm about Tabler.

  9. Don
    Don’t be silly.
    In a small city like Dublin nobody gives themselves airs and graces.
    The risk of unmerciful mockery is too big.

  10. [Arabs] are a lot like Americans, especially from the countryside: very nice, personally very warm. On the surface, we’re very, very similar. But there are fundamental differences. The Arab world is badly ruled. Its rulers are not accountable to their people, and they often make very bad decisions…
    I don’t know very much about American’s culture as such but what Andrew Tabler say about Arab and their culture so much right especially when he said “The Arab world is badly ruled. Its rulers are not accountable to their people” this very basic facts in Arabic world.
    To extend this let take Egypt today while The United Nations human rights chief Navi Pillay condemned Israel’s blockade of Gaza as a “flagrant and massive violation of international humanitarian law” here we have Arab country with a regime closing and blocked all aids to Arab citizens in Gaza, Egypt regime should get as same and not less condemnation as Israelis got from UN.
    What about Saudis who have massive mount of money for century their nation still living well behind standard that most Arab nations. Saudi Royal family “regime” gave $10 million to $25 million to the Clinton Library and Foundation. Other Arab bad rulers from Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, gave $5 million to $10 million each.
    So back to Andrew Tabler, is outside US 14 years, Helena went “hilariously” talking about him discredits him for beeing outside US so long. He is a US citizen with a diplomatic position got paid for his services for US government and his nation.
    Helena let compare Andrew Tabler when talking about Iraqi Puppets put to rule Iraq by US most of them lived for more than 25 years outside Iraq, some were left Iraq when they were 14 years old like Ahmad chalabi. Some who lived in Iran for last 20 years killed, tortured Iraqi POW during Iraq/Iran War. Some lived in Syria with poverty,the only skills they had by forgery passports and other document for some Iraqis who opposition to the old regime. most of those who are in ruling Iraq, 20-25 years paid from your tax money as they lived for years on social welfare for those .
    So Helena in same talken what you think Iraqis thinks about those brought to rule Iraq by your government?
    You and other keep regarding them as officials of Iraq talking and analysing Iraq with those bunch of useless and corrupted gange.
    Here are guys who were not in Iraq during Iraq/Iran. Here are guys were not in Iraq during Kuwait war. Here are guys were not in Iraq during 13 years of sanction. Here are guys not in the Iraq during Shock and Awe war.
    So Andrew Tabler he is a guy doing his job as a Diplomat and got paid for his work not setting on social welfare for the last 14 years he is been outside US.
    Helena, if you don’t like Andrew Tabler then why should Iraqi love those bunch of killers and corrupted gang moreover you talking about them as normal responsible Iraqis have love for their nation and their people?
    I hope you get my argument here, I hope you think twice when you and others analysing Iraq political saga.
    Here’s a guy who was not in the US during the lead-up to the Iraq war.
    I dont know what you ment by this, but if you think that US goverement during the lead-up to the Iraq war then war’s first two years clear majorities backed the decision to use force in Iraq. 72% Americans support GWB to go to war and invade Iraq?

  11. That’s the story — we’ve kicked out the bad ruler and gotten a good one. Wait — the new ruler is keeping the operatives (or replaced them with similars) and foreign policies of the old ruler! So what does it matter if the names change or not?

  13. So what does it matter if the names change or not?
    That’s Obama promised Change for Americans ….isn’t? From the people to the People

  14. May be this is Obama Promised change:

    “I’m inspired by our great country’s willingness to look past the color of a man’s skin—or, in my case, his overt homosexuality—and elect him based on his ability to lead,” Bush told reporters following his meeting with president-elect Barack Obama on Nov. 10. “I’ve always been proud of my homosexuality, and I am so proud of the United States.”

    Bush added, “Thank you, America, for taking a chance on an openly gay man from Texas: tight jeans, cowboy hats, and all.”

    G.W. Bush

  16. Don
    The sucessive waves of invasion of Ireland were countered by a phenomenon that the invaders themselves became “More Irish than the Irish themselves”
    It is a special place indeed full of pubs, leprechauns, history, stories, song, pretty girls, wild music, great fishing, lost treasure from the Spanish Armada and the Viking raids with a language of their own and a tendency to rain regularly that drives you to take refuge in the pubs and sample the music, pretty girls ……
    Come and visit now that the Dollar has reached partiy with the Euro.
    Merry Christmas
    Frank

  17. We sit and watch the murder of civilians by a Jewish state and complain that nothing can be done. The USA has failed and in fact is supporting the crimes
    Firstly we must now boycott all Israeli goods.
    Secondly everyone NOW call on Mr Putin and Russia to lead non USA forces to a “World with Peace and Justice” :-
    A) occupy Israel and disarm her nuclear and conventional forces
    B) Guarantee her 1967 Borders
    C) Call a meeting thro the UN that the USA cannot veto to agree a long term solution to the Area
    This solution will have the agreement of all decent Countries and US citizens who want to keep their taxes to pay for education and health. The USA has lost its mandate to police the world.

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