Friday, April 22, 2005

Rodeo...in the Arab world. Read all about it. So Elizabeth Cheney was on the official American TV for the Arab world (i.e. AlArabiyya). The interview was--typically of AlArabiyya--sprinkled with smiles and excessive courtesy, and you get that if you are a US official appearing on AlArabiyya. Cheney, as you know, is depurty Assistant Secretary of State for the Near East, having received advanced degrees in Middle East studies from...her father. She refused to believe that people in the region are that critical or concerned over the US (and its wars), and she believes that US standing is not that bad in the region. But what got my attention was this: she said that "they" told Al-Hurra propaganda TV (which is independent of course) to cover more aspects of life in the US, and she gave the example of rodeo. She wants Al-Hurra TV to show Arabs some American Rodeo shows. So if I understand her correctly, she believes that Arabs (once they discover the beauty and splendor of rodeo) would change their minds about the war in Iraq, and about the Palestinian question. In fact, Arabs may go searching for wild camels and horses once they see those great footage of..rodeo on AlHurra TV. Stay tuned.