Ever talked to an alien?

Communicating with them is very difficult. This is because, normally, a conversation is underpinned by a wealth of shared implicit knowledge and values. Thus, when someone asks you where the station is you know to give directions to the closest one and to explain which streets to follow, rather than providing the geographical coordinates for Timbuktu Central. When you can not take anything for granted, conversation becomes almost impossible or, at the very least, frustrating and slow. Sometimes, it really makes you wonder what planet they’re from. And I’m just talking about Americans.

An elderly cousin of mine is over from California and I had a most frustrating but, at the same time, revealing conversation with her. We talked about a number of things but two things struck me in particular. The first was her telling me that her grandson, who had been unable to find a place for himself, joined the Marines. She said that he was very happy with his choice after he’d finished the gruelling basic training. Then she explained that he was now likely to be sent off to somewhere though she did not mention the name of the one country that he’d be most likely to go to. Finally, she added that all sorts of things happen in civilian life also and, anyway, at least he was doing what he wanted to do.

Later on the conversation moved on to illegal immigration in the US. My cousin talked about how these Mexicans are just running across the border and then using up all of the welfare money in the States so there are not enough services for Americans. It particularly stuck me how she said that the problem was that, of course, you couldn’t just throw them into the garbage. She also mentioned that the worst thing was that along with the illegal immigrants came drugs and terrorists. She suddenly averred, “I am absolutely against illegal immigration.”

Listening to those two seemingly separate bits of conversations I was struck by the dissonance in her mind, made evident by non sequiturs and contradictions in what she said. She was clearly trying to think morally and rationally about both situations but was disabled by the effective misinformation and indoctrination. It all made me think of another possible get together, this one with a non-existent cousin from Riyadh:

Her grandson had been unable to find himself and decided to join al-Qaida. She said that he was very happy with his choice after he’d finished the gruelling basic training. Then she explained that he was now likely to be sent off to somewhere though she did not mention the name of the one country that he’d be most likely to go to. Finally, she added that all sorts of things happen in civilian life also and, anyway, at least he was doing what he wanted to do.

Later on the conversation moved on to the American presence in Saudi. My cousin talked about how these Americans are coming in droves and destroying the moral fibre of Saudi society by drinking and whoring. It particularly stuck me how she said that the problem was that, of course, you couldn’t just cut their heads off. She also mentioned that the worst thing was that along with the Americans came drugs and terrorists. She suddenly averred, “I am absolutely against Americans.”

As I said, talking to people like these makes me wonder what planet they’re from. Unfortunately the answer is, “This one.”