Pat Lang: How to Work With Tribesmen

[tequila]

Interesting article by COL W. Patrick Lang. I was wondering what those who have served in Anbar think about this?

[marct]

As an Anthropologist, rather than someone who has served in Al Anbar, I would have o say that it is excellent. I was especially impressed with the way he presents the material - straight, to the point, and it hammers home enough whys and wherefores that readers should be able to extrapolate from it. An excellent piece that I will probably give my next Anthropology class to read as a model.

Marc

[Tom Odom]

Can you post it here or send it to me...

I canna get to the web page as the Clingons won't let me

[Stan]

Tom and I dealt with this on a daily basis. Give them a way out, a little room, but without appearing to have openly given in. Don't drive them into a corner, as a slap on the face will indeed last forever.

We never thought we were giving in (our two-man team had little resource nor time to do said). Call it a settlement of differences by arbitration, then nobody thinks they lost.

RESPECT is the key to working with tribesmen
anywhere in the world.

Well written, plain and simple !

[Tom Odom]

Pat Lang gets it...I wish others would. They should give this to New Yorkers when they come south; we'd like them more. Consider:

Do not assume that they want to be like you.
Do not reject their ways as primitive or backward.
Do not mistake a rural lifestyle for one of desperate poverty.
Understand and Respect Their Traditions.

Seriously, this is a great little essay and I will be passing it around via an email "history lesson".

Thanks Marc!

Tom