conversation cont'd (see a couple of posts back)

Iran daily life

“If the Americans had not gone to Afghanistan, the Taliban would still be in power, and the women would still be in burkhas. Am I right? We need a hand outstretched in friendship now.”

“Oh c’mon… We don’t know how to take that hand. Every night the VOA tells us about democracy, and how we will have the support of the US if we just take the first step, and we do not take the first step.”

“How can we take that step? We need a helping hand.”

“Our problem is that we are essentially lazy,” K says.

“Lazy? You think so?”

“We don’t care about quality or about detail. Our 3000 year-old culture has not improved in 3000 years. All we do is whine and blame others for all of our problems.”

Man 2 lowers his head and shakes it. Man 1 smiles and says and nods his head in agreement.

K continues, “We don’t care about our own country. We don’t care about building our country. We must be the only country in the world whose citizens could care less what becomes of their country.”

“Not the only.”

“Okay. Maybe not. But my point is that instead of thinking ‘how can I improve my country?’ we think, ‘How can I line my pockets?”

“It’s the fault of the mullahs.” Man 2 makes a swirling gesture above his head to indicate their telltale turbans.”

“I don’t accept that,” K says. “After world war 2 Germany was destroyed. With the help of the Marshall Plan, they were able to rebuild. They could rebuild because they care about themselves and take responsibility for their own problems.”

“That’s what I am talking about,” Man 2 says. “Exactly. They got a helping hand.”

“But they knew what to do with it.”

“And they had Konrad Adenauer. Who do we have?” Man 1 says.

“It is the fault of the mullahs that we are this way.”