I finally began reading Zeyad's essays on Iraq's tribal culture. Near the end of his first (of four, the latest right here), I was struck by Zeyad's mention of Arab bargaining, a Near Eastern custom most of us would recognize, set in today's new context:

Some of these values may seem contradictory to outsiders at first glance, for example a Sheikh may wholeheartedly offer a whole lamb to a guest for dinner, but at the same time he may argue ridiculously with a grocer over a few Dinars. To understand that you should know that it is not the money that the Sheikh is upset about, he argues because he feels he is being cheated and that is humiliating to him, he wants to be the cheater not the cheated, if the grocer later asks the Sheikh for an incredible sum of money the Sheikh would without any hesitation give it to him out of generosity because it would bring pride and a sense of dominance to him.

You can also attribute that to the sense of superiority, the Sheikh wants to be dominant, he enjoys being asked for anything, yet he hates with all his heart to ask anyone for anything even for directions, as that would be a sign of weakness. That also explains the tendency of most Arabs to bargain over almost everything.

Pride in generosity, good business and personal importance? The Iraqis (and other freed Arabs), given the requisite time and industrial tools, will make model capitalists. Goodness, in forty years, Iraq could even eclipse the postwar rise of the Japanese.