Grateful Kurds in Iraq's north embrace Americans and their culture

Associated Press/ Boston globe ^ | 3/20/2004 07:37 | Mariam Fam

[Not gonna take it anymore]

SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq (AP) At MaDonal, a restaurant with a familiar name, diners munch cheeseburgers and fries. U.S. troops open cans of Diet Coke. An American flag flies next to the sign that bears the internationally recognized trademark yellow M.

The scene reflects a fact of life in Iraq's north: Many Kurds are fascinated with the culture of the superpower that freed an oppressed people from brutal persecution by the ousted dictator.

[cyborg]

Bad news for the democrats and those pantywaist protestors today.

[TShaunK]

John Kerry will take credit cause they swear like troopers...lol.

[cyborg]

LOL!!!!!

[Arpege92]

Although it's flattering, I suspect that this will only bring on more attacks.

Plus, I'd be upset too if my kid were learning Michael Jackson anything.

[Not gonna take it anymore]

I enjoyed this article. The Kurds have worked hard for themselves with our protection for the last 10 plus years.

Democracy can work in Iraq.

I'm off now to get ready for a memorial service for my brother in law.

BBL

[zarf]

This is a mixed bag. One of the great annoyance's of traveling overseas is seeing how Americanized the world has become.

We export so much culturally mediocre crap that I can understand why people resent us.

I hope the Kurds know how to winnow the sticks from the berries.

[jocon307]

This is very nice, but, how long before the real Mickey D's sues these Kurdish imitators?

[SevenofNine]

ALright rack itttt

That is cool
Hey there is wind of change it not Demo rats lies here

[Arpege92]

"I'm off now to get ready for a memorial service for my brother in law."

My condolences to you and your family.

[luvbach1]

Where have people been forcibly Americanized? Even in Iraq cultural sensitivity has been stressed by the American command.

[zarf]

Where have people been forcibly Americanized?

Well, in US states that used to be known as Mexico, a few Indian tribes and Filipinos for starters!

[wildbill]

Re: cultural mediocrity.

Funny how people instinctively react to cultural choices when they are freed of religious or governmental restraints. They take what they like from another culture and reject the rest.

So they like one of our national culinary inventions--hamburgers--join the rest of the world. We adopted tacos, pizza and chicken fried rice. Most of us are not into chicken with mole sauce, scungilli, or snake in any one of its savory forms.

Why should we be embarassed by MacDonalds? Kwik Woks don't bother me.

[sheik yerbouty]

The Kurds are enthusiastic about the 21st century, unlike the Arabs, who seem to be rabidly fond of the 7th.

[ASOC]

''I think the Kurds are the first ethnic group in the Middle East that are not very religious, not attached to the Islamic culture,'' --

perhaps better said as:

''I think the Kurds are the first ethnic group in the Middle East that are not very religious, not enslaved to the Islamic culture,''

[luvbach1]

My question was: Where have people been forcibly Americanized? and Zarf said:

Well, in US states that used to be known as Mexico

The operative phrase is "used to be known as Mexico." My question referred to foreigners in foreign lands who were forcibly Americanized. Once the Southwest was part of the US I don't consider the Americanization to be forced.

a few Indian tribes

Again, these people were in what was then the United States. Manifest destiny and all that.

...and Filipinos for starters!

Filipinos come closest to being forcibly Americanized, although they too were an American possession at the time. And to the extent that they were Americanized (Manila still doesn't remind me of San Diego), I think they embraced a lot of it. Thank you for your answer.