quote:

ORIGINAL: meatcleaver

If you read the history of the British in the middle east you would find that the British were exasperated with Arab disunity making the usual western mistake of thinking the Arabs have one identity.

quote:

ORIGINAL: selfbnd411

quote:

ORIGINAL: Vendaval

Where do you read into my statement that I am dismissing anything?

The thousands of years of strife part needs qualification imo.  Yes, there's been a lot of strife to go around.  You could say the same thing about Italy--the only periods of real Italian unity have been under brutally repressive regimes such as the Roman Empire (it was unified at its peak, not during its rise or fall) and the Mussolini era.

Italy is not the subject of the discussion.


To me, it reads as "they've always fought, and right now they're fighting because Iraq" and with no real statement of hope.  I think that Clinton's diplomacy showed us that there's a great deal of progress to be made when reasonable people agree to disagree on some things and find common ground where they can.  I thought it deserved a mention to balance the statement out.


He is no longer the commander in chief and his contributions have been undone.

quote:

ORIGINAL: meatcleaver

quote:

ORIGINAL: Vendaval

If you go back through the ancient history of the region, you will find an endless
cycle of conquests and wars.  Start with the 3rd millenium, BCE and keep going
through the present; Canaanites, Amorities, Hittites, Hurrians, Isrealites, Babylonians,
Persians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Abbasids, Seljuks, Fatimids, European Crusaders,
Mameluks, Ottoman Turks, Egyptians, Britians, Israelites, Jordanians, US, UN, etc.

http://www.palestinehistory.com/history/brief/brief.htm#01


(edited to add link)

This is the story of the world, not the story of the middle east. Look at how violent North America has been. You might say there hasn't been any real war for two hundered years but you get get peaceful periods in the middle east that lasted two hundred years. You could say that the Ottoman Empire brought peace to the middle east for 500 years.

EDIT: I forgot the Indian wars and the war with Mexico so there hasn't been peace in N America for 200 years.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Vendaval

quote:

ORIGINAL: meatcleaver

quote:

ORIGINAL: Vendaval

If you go back through the ancient history of the region, you will find an endless
cycle of conquests and wars.  Start with the 3rd millenium, BCE and keep going
through the present; Canaanites, Amorities, Hittites, Hurrians, Isrealites, Babylonians,
Persians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Abbasids, Seljuks, Fatimids, European Crusaders,
Mameluks, Ottoman Turks, Egyptians, Britians, Israelites, Jordanians, US, UN, etc.

http://www.palestinehistory.com/history/brief/brief.htm#01


(edited to add link)

This is the story of the world, not the story of the middle east. Look at how violent North America has been. You might say there hasn't been any real war for two hundered years but you get get peaceful periods in the middle east that lasted two hundred years. You could say that the Ottoman Empire brought peace to the middle east for 500 years.

EDIT: I forgot the Indian wars and the war with Mexico so there hasn't been peace in N America for 200 years.

The subject of this discussion is not the history of North America.
The conquests and empires listed are specific to the Middle East.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Politesub53

quote:

ORIGINAL: meatcleaver

If you read the history of the British in the middle east you would find that the British were exasperated with Arab disunity making the usual western mistake of thinking the Arabs have one identity.

What is your source for this.... ?

quote:

ORIGINAL: Politesub53

lol mnottertail
although a) balfour didnt actually write or or champion it, that was Milner.  And b) Lawerence himself had recognised Arab Unity may not be in British interest. To be honest there were so many pacts and agreements about that time no wonder it became a mess.

quote:

ORIGINAL: meatcleaver
Yes but your post suggested violent conquests were perculiar to the middle east, I was just pointing out they weren't and that you yourself are a citizen of a country brought about by violent conquest.