A Bad Case of Arrested Development.

I was invited to a gathering last evening, and overheard conversations, as usual...

There were some Westerners there (to my dismay), most of whom were Americans and a few Europeans on a "mission" - working for NGOs that "specialize" in "development" projects. There was also one Pakistani guy present who works for the same group and a few Arabs.

I overheard one of the American "female" "expert" say :

- The main problem we're facing is that the natives resist development. That's one major hurdle...

I detected unease in the Pakistani guy. So I threw a bait, hoping to take him by surprise, I said :

- you know something, I am getting really, really fed up with those Americans and other Westerners on a "mission."

He replied diplomatically :

- they're doing what they can, their best...

I continued,

- Oh absolutely, they are doing their best for "development". Iraq was really developed and when the West imposed sanctions we became even more developed, and with the 2003 occupation, you can't imagine the boom in development we're experiencing...it's totally mind blowing, an unrecorded level of development in the history of the Middle East.

Of course the Pakistani guy understood ... he replied lowering his voice...

- Wherever they go, they make nothing but problems for people...they are on a mission to create problems, unsolvable ones...

- A bad case of structurally arrested development, you think ?

- Yes, most definitely so.


That sums it all up.

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