After working five years in the Gulf countries of the Middle East, I have observed that some of the currently most liberal young people who might be of the cohort group listening to Armed Forces Radio concerts while showing off their snazzy automobiles are just as likely as anyone else to grow up as less liberal and more critical of west as the years.
Does experiencing the Worst from the West have its greatest effect on youth or on older folks?
I believe it is the former.
These same young peoples watch legal- and pirated- American films and soon pretend they know all about THE WEST after viewing those action thrillers and the over-the-top narrations and cuss-language of film and music culture-a cultural world often left unedited by teachers or in-the-know adults (like myself) who might give these youth a more effective means to read and interpret culture from music and film.
PARENTING IN KUWAIT & THE GULF STATES
While I don't agree with a lot that Hillary Clinton has stood for in recent years, some fifteen years ago she wrote a book, saying "It takes a village [to raise a child]." She was right on. We all need to work together to raise better children and better societies. We must see ourselves as role-models and act accordingly. We must advise, train, talk with and educated children and youth.
For example, reading, social science, and writing teachers such as myself can help young people interpret culture, language, and ways of life more even-handedly and effectively than can a radio station playing in the nigh skies over the Gulf States.
Sadly, effective parenting is too often missing in developing countries, such as those in the Gulf states. The average population here is fairly young compared to U.S., East Asian, and European. The parents have depended too much on government restrictions and not on common sense to teach youth about the rights and wrongs of society.
Another FRIDAY TIMES editorialist bemoans the lack of common sense in Kuwait in terms of both parenting and enforcement of existing laws and codes in a Kuwait that has become a bit more laisse faire economically in the past decade. The authors name is Nawara Fattahova and she claims, "We don't ban kids from entering any type of movie we show. Even if it was written that the movie is for ages 18 and above, we can only advise them that it's not suitable for them."
This is because in Kuwaiti cinemas attempts to mimic the West as much as possible-despite censorship of portions of most any film-they only see fit to advise youth under certain ages not to go into a movie. It is much like American states that advise gamblers not to gamble and to get treatment but simply continue to allow the addicted gamblers to do so.
Laisse Faire economics is not the answer to everything Kuwait?
Isn't that so America? (Look at the economic mess laisse faire bankers have got you in recently!)
We need to be wise educators. By we, I mean ALL HUMAN BEINGS-not just lifelong educators, such as myself.
Teaching of common sense should be manifested in radio stations, too.
Let's use our government supported and sponsored radios and media more wisely in 2008!
Radio stations and other media DO PROVIDE ROLE MODELS to all peoples-but especially to younger and more impressionable peoples throughout the globe.
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