“Lawrence of Arabia” starring Peter O’Toole, Alec Guinness and Omar Sharif, and directed by David Lean is one of my favorite films. Watching coverage of the continuing crises in the Middle East makes me realize that all we need to understand about the Middle East region can be found in this classic film. 1. About the ARAB SPRING: “THE TRICK IS NOT MINDING” You will be burnt! Playing with matches at the beginning of the film, an officer exclaims loudly that it really hurts when you are burnt by a match. “Of course it hurts. The trick is not minding” replies Lawrence. You are going to have to take some good solid licks when mucking around in the Middle East. Not in the same sense, hopefully, as described by George C. Scott, portraying a General in “Dr. Strangelove”, who exclaims in an animated tone when chastised for advocating nuclear war, “Well, of course I’m not saying we aren’t going to get our hair mussed a little bit!” We don’t want to go quite as far as the deranged General, ...