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July 20, 2008

American Dreams: counterinsurgency and American, Iraqi and Afghan cultures

As part of their American Dreams radio series, the BBC has ran an excellent programme looking at 'cultural' training for US forces in Fort Riley (listen here, while still available). 'Transition Teams' are trained here before heading out to Iraq and Afghanistan, with a focus on 'cultural awareness' over kinetic operations.

Especially interesting about the programme is the way that this training is placed in the context of American culture/s and of certain American ideals. How are conceptions of American Dreams being changed by the long 'war on terror'? And, in trying to understand and engage with other cultures, will conceptions of what it is to be American also change?

Posted by jon_mendel at July 20, 2008 02:23 PM

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