The US government is capable of producing the worst of the worst in vulgar Orientalism

This stuff is in line with Raphael Patai's The Arab Mind:  "PERHAPS THE SINGLE DOMINANT ASPECT OF THE PERSIAN PSYCHE IS AN OVERRIDING EGOISM. ITS ANTECEDENTS LIE IN THE LONG IRANIAN HISTORY OF INSTABILITY AND INSECURITY WHICH PUT A PREMIUM ON SELF-PRESERVATION." (thanks Nir)