One part of Mr. Spherical Model’s job is arranging training
programs for oil service customers around the world. Large buyers arrange
in-depth training for some of their employees, so that in addition to
equipment, they are also purchasing experience. As a result, people come from
around the world for a variety of different lengths of training. I wrote about
a group from Iraq back in spring 2011. We have met people from Russia, China,
Saudi Arabia, Uganda, and probably others I’m not recalling.
This past week a new group of trainees arrived, employees of
Saudi Aramco, for what I think is 15 months of training at various field
operations around the US. When a group like this arrives, we often have a
get-acquainted dinner, to which I am sometimes invited. Two of the Saudis have
wives with them; others may have wives at home, but decided the upheaval was
more disruptive than the separation, at least for now, so they signed up for
just bachelor accommodations. Anyway, for various reasons (no babysitter for
the newborn was one) the wives didn’t come, so I’m the only woman at the table.
There are three Muhammeds, two Achmeds—which they tell me
are different versions of the same name, so they often go by an additional name to avoid confusion. And I think we had a Sayeed and a
Hasham (but I’m not sure what I heard exactly or how to spell them). They seemed excited about the
learning adventure, and they were personable and energetic and, as far as I
could ascertain, a group of quite decent young people. I hope they don’t mind
my posting their photo (this is also the first one I’ve posted of myself and
Mr. Spherical Model.)
They seem to adapt well to our culture, at least so far as
to welcoming me in a dinner conversation (one did not shake hands, with coming
and leaving opportunities, but it wasn’t very noticeable). We had an enjoyable
dinner, learning about where they all came from. Most were from the eastern coast
of Saudi, where there are either oil fields, near Dhahran, or fishing villages
not far from there. A couple were from the west coast, near Jeddah. One grew up
in the east but was from family in Mecca (spelled Makkah on the map online), so
we enjoyed talking about that city, and the Hajj celebration, which fascinated
all of them. One hadn’t been to Hajj yet, and everyone was surprised. It seemed
a little like being from here and never traveling to New Orleans for Mardi Gras
(which I have not done—and because of the lack of civilization during that
event, I will likely continue to avoid NO during that time of year and maybe
settle for being a tourist during milder circumstances).
We talked very little about religion or politics. But they
wanted to make sure we knew that, unlike how the media may portray things, the
Sunnis and Shias get along well in Saudi. Our group was mixed, and to them this
was simply not an issue. No mention of (to us) extremist Wahhabism came up,
even though reading has led me to understand that is the religion of at least
some of the royal family. They did say there are occasional crazies everywhere,
but they had so support for such things. These are educated young men, working
hard to learn what they can to improve their career prospects. And they are
very family oriented—a cultural similarity we have enjoyed with others from
their country.
They are very serious about taking care of the elderly—because
if you don’t, you go to hell. That is basic doctrine they agree on. I agree
with them that having family members take on the responsibility makes a lot
more sense than taxing people, passing the money through government
bureaucracy, and then doling it out as the government sees fit. Only where
there are no progeny to care for the elderly would this be an issue—but that
would be a smaller issue.
Politically, their main concern was stability. Their King Abdullah
bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is elderly—in his 90s. He has managed to keep things
fairly stable, with the oil industry doing much of the infrastructure building,
and these young men were complimentary of such efforts. When Saudi Aramco
builds something, they said, it is of good quality. But the king’s age makes
succession imminent. It wasn’t really a matter of who should get the position;
they could see that, whoever it was, others would wish for the line of power to
go their way, and there could be factions.
As the young Saudis see it, there are three possibilities:
continued monarchy (whoever succeeds), transformation to democracy, or a
combination of monarchy with some elements of democracy. Those who expressed
their opinions liked the idea of having a voice in government. Moving suddenly
from monarchy to democracy, however, looked uncertain and chaotic. They seemed
to prefer the middle option, something like Great Britain, where there is a
monarchy, but the decisions about running the country rest in parliament. And
parliament has at least partially the voice of the people. It would not satisfy
me, but I can see their reasoning, and I think their direction is toward
something positive.
When we have these relatively intimate conversations with
people from other cultures, we find people not terribly unlike us. I am
reminded of this Bush philosophy: “I believe that God granted in every heart
the desire to live in freedom.” Some peoples, living in some cultures where
they’ve never experienced freedom, might not be able to envision freedom. They
might be willing to settle for stable tyranny rather than chaotic tyranny. But
where people can see the option, there is a desire to work and enjoy the fruits
of one’s labors, without threat from theft or attack—in other words, the innate
sense of the rights to life, liberty, and property. A system that protects
those inalienable rights has the possibility of thriving civilization. I hope
that more of the world may experience the benefits of freedom. And may God
grant that we as a people can keep ours.
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