The future is in underwear
When there is no hard intelligence, there is no choice but to wrack one's brains and offer assessments and analyses. And that, without a doubt, is a difficult task for a confused, clueless government.
By Yossi SaridDoes Syria want peace with Israel? Is it merely pretending? What is really going on in Bashar Assad's brain, and how can we examine his heart and soul?
It seems the intelligence community has no more than a shred of knowledge about what Assad means when he says yes. With confusion and emptiness darkening our lives, many among us are still tempted to believe that, "We, the ordinary citizens, are confused, but those at the top surely know what is happening." But those at the top also have no clue. And when there is no hard intelligence, there is no choice but to wrack one's brains and offer assessments and analyses. And that, without a doubt, is a difficult task for a confused, clueless government.
This week, however, I obtained sensitive intelligence material, and I am wondering whether to publish it here or to send it in a sealed envelope to Military Intelligence's research division. Yet if I send it, it seems doubtful that it will reach the right person, and even if it does, it seems doubtful that he will bother to read it.
Admittedly, this intelligence is available to anyone, but that does not reduce its value. After all, it is well-known that these days, most of the information piled up on the desks of the secret services comes from sources readily available to all.
Moreover, in their eagerness to acquire secret information, secret service employees do not always notice what there is in the open for all to see. Is it not, therefore, the duty of every ordinary citizen to serve, when the opportunity arises, as the eyes of the state?
This is what I discovered, purely by accident: In the most recent edition of Time magazine, there is a short article of a seemingly touristy character. But a careful reading reveals hidden depths, and shows Syria in an entirely new light - almost naked. Reporter Lydia Wilson reveals the secrets of the Syrian bedroom as if they were Victoria's Secret.
It turns out that Syria today is one of the world's leading manufacturers of men's and women's underwear. And not just any underwear, but extremely sexy lingerie, the kind even Playboy's naked bunnies would covet. Soon, Time reports, a new book by two local writers will appear - "The Secret Life of Syrian Lingerie" - and it derives its inspiration from the Hamadiya market in Damascus, which proudly displays a variety of bras and underpants.
From throughout the Arab world and beyond, men and women flock to buy these silk and satin treasures at rock-bottom prices, to wear during their 1,001 nights.
Were MI and the Mossad aware of everything reported here? And would they, by themselves, understand the importance of this article?
In complete contrast to Syria's image in the world, here, it is suddenly revealed as a country that is developing a narrative of its own. This is not that well-known country so closed that it might as well be locked into a chastity belt of fanaticism. This is not that same old dull-as-a-dishcloth country; from dishcloths, one does not make pleasure goods.
Admittedly, bras in eye-catching colors and exciting designs are not a sufficient condition for openness, but they are a necessary condition, and this condition, as we see, exists. Civilizations that bask in the life of the moment are less inclined to Amazonian adventures, which could catch them with their pants down and their corsets loosened.
And if we thought that Syria was inhabited solely by men and women with khaki underwear and whalebone corsets, this was an optical illusion. They have life there in Damascus, and they love their lives, and will not readily give them up. And if their president goes mad and decides to destroy their lives, they will view this as a mortal, below-the-belt blow.
Eugene Ionesco, in a short theater of the absurd play, proposes the possibility that "The Future is in Eggs." I want to expand the tent a bit: In my estimation, the future is in underwear.
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By writting, "We, the ordinary citizens, are confused, but those at the top surely know what is happening," Yossi Sarid, has summarized one of the biggest problems that explain the Arab - Israeli conflict.
Some people are smart enough to understand the message behind the examples, others choose to ignore it because it is against their agenda. This article has a clear message " Syrian wants to live" the people making fun of the examples are eather stupid not to understand the message or hawks who are agianst a resonable peace.
These are two different subjects, peace deals with politics and the future of the underwear deals with common people looking for a living. What is in Bashaar's head is not peace, it is a game of cat and mouse???????
Yossi, did you find something more serious than bras to show Siria is serious about peace? If not - your approach and willingless to make Siria a progressive country eager to peace through the bras are...not at your intellectual level. No other signs? Too bad.
Does anybody have information on the state of lingerie industry in Germany ,1938 ?
Next thing our learned friend Mr. Sarid will make the claim that since Afghanistan is one of the largest manufacturers of opium, the Taliban was an "easy-going" bunch of fellows always high on life. Somehow Mr. Sarid did not get the intelligence report regarding Mr. Assad shaking hands with Religious extremists every day. The hard facts are already told in Sarid's "article": If you don't know the facts you don't get into a business deal (even if the deal has the word "peace" inserted in it.) Any deal offered with no knowledge of the facts from the "seller" is 10 out of 10 times a "lemon". It is easy to always sit on the sidelines and mock other people Mr. Sarid! I am not against peace by any stretch but the comments and the reasoning in this article are preposterous. Keep reading fashion magazines, though, I am sure more intelligence is to be uncoveredthere for the benefit of the state!
Enjoyed reading your post, thanks.
He's even order kidnapping of a S.Korean fim instructor to be able to make films in N.Korea. Such enthusiasm for an art form is not a sufficient but a necessary,blah,blah,blah Aah,Atilla and his Huns loved women. It's a historical fact.Also a necessary prerequisite for blah,blah,blah
see, they're people too. they're people who need to buy underwear, for comfort and other purposes. we also wear underwear, most of us, here in israel. i don't want a syrian missile falling on my head, or an iranian one either. they don't want an israeli missile on their heads, and they wouldn't be too happy about an american missile either. so you see, we're really just the same, the syrians and the israelis. both of our leaders have pretty wives and nice children. they make many mistakes because they are stubborn middle eastern men. well, technically my leader is from the russian orient, in recent memory, but now he is very israeli. we have the same food, us and the syrians, and it is very good. yes, we both want the golan, but let's save that talk for when the underwear is on the floor.
It only shows the utter hypocrisy of Arab/Muslim society. The Syrian govt. encourages extremism even as it makes money from lingerie. But so what, everyone on earth knows about the whoring of the Saudi royals. Does that mean that their society is open?
This jackass ran Israel's education system - the results are still being suffered.
To Haaretz, Having already read the article, not knowing exactly how to respond, I saw the design to the article on your homepage, with the stork bringing in the underwear with the clouds in the background, then I laughed!!! Personally, I do not wear satin nightgowns and prefer good old Egyptian cotton, but my mother's generation knows something about satin. Psalm 29: Lebanon and Syria clap their hands...
Same as Sarid It could be that Assad wears Victoria's Secret lingerie as surprised Sarid carefull reading reveals , , , No more Syrians veils (fog) , no more Victoria and no more secret , , , Victoria's Secret empire may have the best secret syrian info for sale , , , How funny when western TVs cable are packed with commercials with items for womens , the latest one has it stucked to her front head,