Wasta
September 21, 2010 8 Comments
Wasta is a small city in south Dakota with a population of 75 people. But “Wasta” is whom you know in Kuwait or how strong is your social network. The equivalent of wasta in English would be “Cronyism”. In Cuba it is known to be “Sociolismo” but in Russia it is called “Blat” and in China called “Guanxi” and finally in Germany has a longer word that I can not even pronounce “Vetternwirtschaft”. So what is “Wasta”? Wasta is your social network and how you can maximize the use of your relationships. Wast is calling somebody you know to do you a favor that you have to repay back sooner or later. It is a way to overcome bureaucracy and unnecessary delays in the routine work. But like everything useful in life, you can misuse wasta to get what you are not entitled for. You have to “Pull some strings” sometimes to get what you deserve, but some people pull “stronger” strings to get what you deserve before you. Some of my friends says that they use wasta just to make sure that they are getting what they should get. But the question is: how did they know that whatever they got by wasta was meant for them?
About Sami Malallah
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Execellent choice Bu-Ahmed for your topic … it’s a sensitive issue that most people doesn’t like to talk about it in public especially when it comes to their business, but you made your point of view clear & would trigger a lot of questions in our minds … thank you
I am glad that you liked the post. I hope people think twice before they use Wasta.
Fantastic article ،،،، and sensitive at the same time 🙂 In fact I hate this word so much, because of the misused of it her in Kuwait and the Gulf in general . But I was happy when I read her that it carries different good meanings . Referring to your question in the end of the post , i don’t thing that they care about suitability 😦
Thank you Sami
You are right, some people do not care if they are suitable for what they had got, but they should know that whatever they do the the others would happen to them also.
The answer is they don’t… its one of those controversies of which there is a willing buyer and a willing seller….The last one that buys and unable to resell to others is the “LOSER’….
P.S- the term ‘Wasta’ is referred to in China as ‘Guanxi”….
Hi, thank you for stopping by, i have not seen you for more than a year. You are right the case as you explain would have a loser at the end.
PS. Thank you for the right translation, I did the correction.
Nice to know of another use for this dirty word…
Thank you for stopping by Bu Yousef.