Eradicate Corruption

2010-10-29T05:01:00.000-07:00

I keep hearing our Afghanistan and Iraq war executives downgradecorruption well below other security concerns in the quest to win the wars. I like to make the motion that corruption should be a top priority. Foras long as there is corruption, there will never be stability or sustainable peace. To cut the supply of corrupt leaders, we need tocombat corruption starting in the classroom.

In 1992 and after realizing that my degree from Lebanon didn't amount foranything in the USA, I pursued an MBA degree. The material Ilearned in graduate school re-ignited my enthusiasm for education. For example,I learned about the future value of money. My new percepts produced twolife changing connections: The golden era didn’t conclude with prophetMohammad’s life. I mean, tools existed to plan a prosperous futurespanning from Finance, Organization Management , and ehm … ehm …Communications; therefore, things can get better. The second and more profoundconnection presented itself in class during an exam.

I took a test with over twenty other students. On instinct, I tracked theteacher with the corner of my eye as I frenzied to answer. What happenednext floored me! Nonchalantly, the teacher left the classroom! She just walkedout without clear accountability for punishment should we get unruly. Anxiety set in. Immediately, I looked up. Once another studentdetects the teacher’s absence, there will be chaos. We will start rubbernecking or whispering an SOS for a difficult question. Any second now! No one flinched! One minute passed. Nothingness! Just uttersilence. I summoned every ounce of determination to get back into the exam. When I left the class, I experienced an onset of a new outlook on life.

My aspiration for an ethical way of life rose to a skyscraping elevation. Alternatively, the 'in my countr-ry' pride continued to plummet. Like with everything I had experienced since landing in the USA, Iresolved to identify the source of my habituation.

My earliest memories included getting caught in the web of remorselesscheating during tests. Incidentally, when a student got away with cheating andhad a successful outcome, he was praised for his wit. The comedians inclass predicted a parliament position for those who aced their exams utilizingstate of the art cheat sheets.

Fueled with the feeling of entitlement, a government employee couldamass a sizeable fortune. In Lebanon, for example, the feeling of entitlementstems from the belief that the government robs its citizens. Muslimspresumed that the Christians used money to pave their side of the road. Onthe other hand, the Christians figured their money got siphoned to thePalestinians through the Muslims. Since democracy in Lebanon was founded onreligion, a holy heist ensued emblazing the nation from 1975-1990. Allegiancesto foreign forces bloomed.

Militias formed with funding from foreign countries and politicians soldtheir allegiances to the highest foreign bidder. The price of localprinciples was commensurate with the global influence du jour. We, here,paid for influence. I get it. Wars are fought with brute force,diplomacy, building allies with our enemy's enemy, negotiations, coalitions,etc. However, one short-term approach that always imploded in the long-term isto turn the corrupt SOB there to our SOB. Caveat: Thecorrupt SOB is one of the root causes of the problem.

The traitor, our ally, streams rotten morals into the heart ofpatriotism. By putting his interests over his country's, he loses hisconstituents. Turmoil ensues. Where turmoil exists war is incubated. The citizens defect. They lean on their religious figures for salvation. It is those very factors that birthed the Taliban. The citizens ofAfghanistan flocked to the Taliban to get help, eradicate corruption. Inthe long-term, however, Taliban leaders reverted to the cultural application ofthe sharia. They accepted "gifts."

If we want long-term peace, we need to implement long-term strategies. We must teach children the code of conduct and civility outsidethe context of the holy books. In a decade or two a few brave and ethical menand women will lead their nation. When we see students recite the pledge ofallegiance to their country every morning, we will know that we unified thecitizens around their country not our interests. When that is done, the senseof entitlement will most likely fizzle and peace will have a chance.

In the meantime let us get out of the business of Shock and Awe campaignsthat had fertilized long-term vendettas.

By: Osama Wazan

To: General Petraeus

2010-03-08T05:06:00.000-08:00

Iwish the MC had selected me when I raised my hand on Wednesday. I wanted to askGeneral Petraeus a question. Perhaps my hand, which to me, towered over like alighthouse, in effect didn't clear my head.

GeneralPetraeus's credentials are dazzling to say the least. He has a Ph.D. fromPrinceton, nominated the Time magazine Person of the Year in 2007, throughbeing names by Newsweek as the 16th most powerful person in the world in itsDecember 20, 2008. But, enough of that! Now, what is a brilliant man like himdoing fighting his counterparts, of which, most have never finished college? Ittakes a brilliant man to command the sophisticated US military. I told myself.

TheGeneral simplified the complexity of reality for public consumption. I guessthey, speakers, figured we can only handle the dumbed-down versions. You know!The Sunni Triangle, the four pieces of the puzzle--No really! He showed ussome--the Insurgencies and Counterinsurgency. Keep it simple for the stupidkind of thing. OK. I am on board, I guess!

Theaudience, except for two members, asked CNN-Fox-News-like questions about theUS’s stance on the nuclear threat by Iran or if the US military would stand byIsrael if it attacks Iran. The General humored, “Do you want me to be reallyspecific?” Another asked something along these lines, "…the Israelimilitary is the most powerful in the world. What is the US military doing tolearn from Israeli Defense Forces?”

TheGeneral remained in the element of a blend of humor that lubricated themechanics of an informative speech. Would someone, West Point graduates,present, please answer! Three war veterans, who represented thepopulation of the audience, sat at my table. I wondered, if they weregoing to speak up and confidently say, "Hold your horses, buddy! We arethe most powerful army in the world." I raised my hand higher. Iknew I did because the Korean War veteran, to my left, flinched at my enthusiasm.

Asidefrom the discomfort of not starting with, "It is such great pleasure …itis a great honor….please run for president…,” like almost everyone else, I feltthat I would most likely be casted as the employee who complained about thequality of toilet paper in a town-hall meeting. You see? I am not easilygrounded by the adhoc questions. I have some of my own and I think I am tooanalytical for my own good. You know what! I confess. I am! So, I rehearsed thenext two over and over in my head, of course, while paying attention.

Question1: What is the US military doing to close the gap between stealth bombers, destroyers, air craft carriers and laser guided missiles on one hand andthe donkeys or children packed with explosives on the other?

Question2: I think that the US soldier's expectations of compliance are differentthan the enemy’s expectations of pain. Sorry! Let me give you an example!Hypothetically, when a US soldier is confronted with a threat at one hundredfeet of the perimeter, it is my understanding that the US solider is to shout awarning. At fifty feet, fire a few rounds in the sky and at thirty feet, shootto kill.

Well!Sir, the soldier shoots and kills. Now we have everyone shouting,"Death to Amer-rica!" You see! In that part of the world, itis expected for you to grab the intruder from the ear, beat him up for a fewdays, lash his feet, and send him on his way. Subsequently, the entireclan outside the perimeter will beat him up including his mother. I can hear her shouting, "Why are you messing with theAmericans? They will kill you." I am not talking about suicidebombers, of course.

Mr.Petraeus, what are you doing to close the gap above? I do respect you,and I know your best is never good enough in the public eye, but please do twothings. First, stand up for the US military more militantly and work on closingthe gaps above.

Thedefinition of success is not made in the command and control center. As in thebusiness world, it is at the customer interaction level where laser beam focusis required to increase customer retention and acquisition. It is there wherebottom line results are produced not at Wall Street.

By: OsamaWazan