How to Lose an Army

[Heracles 417]

Why do you guys have so much sympathy for them?

In comparison to other regions advances, which includes Europe, America and Asia, the Middle east has nothing to show. Especially if we are to look back at the last 100 years.

Even when considering the ancient times, the Romans, Chinese and Greeks where much more advanced than the Persians and Egyptians..

They didn't evolve in the last 100 yrs because we kept screwing them over and over again...

And I don't have sympathy for extremists, but I am aware that we created the environment that creates extremists....

Screwing them over. Dude come on now. You cannot blame the US for the mess there. That region has been at war for over 4,000 years..

How much do want to make a bet on that if we totally cut all ties and communications with the middle east that they would still be at war and blame everybody else.

[Heracles 417]

The only reason we have any of the Greek and Roman advances is due to the Arabs. Seriously. If you study this stuff, basically, the Roman empire falls, with it is lost nearly every advance, except where it's kept alive and refined by the Arab civilizations, who re-introduce it all to Europe via Spain.

A lot of the 18th and 19th century Arabic intellectual tradition is not studied in the west, but that's not the same as saying it doesn't exist.

It's not a matter of sympathy. Facts are facts. It's nice to pretend that nothing's come out of there, maybe, but it just isn't historically true.

Thats right they spread Islam. I can see how civilized and tolerant that religion is and how 'well' it has integrated with so many other societies and beliefs around the world.

Was the Armenian and various other genocides also part of their 'intellectual tradition'?

[Reynaldo 0]

To put the way I see the middle eastern conflicts into more western terms:

Do you see any difference between Portugal and Spain?

In the 1600s the royal bloodline of Portugal ended with the king dying and his closest relative being his somewhat-cousin, the king of Spain. Then both crowns were united under Spanish rule (forming the largest territorial empire ever).

During the next 50 years, in Portugal and Brazil, insurgents rose against Spanish rule. The conflicts only ended when another guy was crowned King of Portugal.

Doesn't that look like what is happening in the middle east?

The fact that we have drawn borders not based on their culture and their ethnicity?

And also, does that makes me, Brazilian of Portuguese origin, a nut job?

[Heracles 417]

To put the way I see the middle eastern conflicts into more western terms:

Do you see any difference between Portugal and Spain?

In the 1600s the royal bloodline of Portugal ended with the king dying and his closest relative being his somewhat-cousin, the king of Spain. Then both crowns were united under Spanish rule (forming the largest territorial empire ever).

During the next 50 years, in Portugal and Brazil, insurgents rose against Spanish rule. The conflicts only ended when another guy was crowned King of Portugal.

Doesn't that look like what is happening in the middle east?

The fact that we have drawn borders not based on their culture and their ethnicity?

And also, does that makes me, Brazilian of Portuguese origin, a nut job?

I think your a nut job for other reasons..

just kidding..

The attitude of the middle east is what makes it what it is today. When Israel attacked Hezbollah in Lebanon they cried poor poor us. They are slaughtering us and the US is to blame. The second Israel stopped the bombing they chanted victory and stated they had defeated Israel..

Edited December 21, 2006 by Infidel

[mawilson 2,133]

And also, does that makes me, Brazilian of Portuguese origin, a nut job?

Yes

[Reynaldo 0]

And also, does that makes me, Brazilian of Portuguese origin, a nut job?

Yes

What about the fact that YOU, Americans (not you, Mark, or should I say, Gaius?), also fought to get your own independence?

Because you rebelled against English dominance, aren't you also eligible to that rule?

ETA: What about the war of 1812? The Mexican-American war? The civil war? The Spanish-American war?

Doesn't that also makes you nut jobs?

Edited December 21, 2006 by Reynaldo

[mawilson 2,133]

And also, does that makes me, Brazilian of Portuguese origin, a nut job?

Yes

What about the fact that YOU, Americans (not you, Mark, or should I say, Gaius?), also fought to get your own independence?

Because you rebelled against English dominance, aren't you also eligible to that rule?

Yes, I am a nut job too.

[Heracles 417]

And also, does that makes me, Brazilian of Portuguese origin, a nut job?

Yes

What about the fact that YOU, Americans (not you, Mark, or should I say, Gaius?), also fought to get your own independence?

Because you rebelled against English dominance, aren't you also eligible to that rule?

ETA: What about the war of 1812? The Mexican-American war? The civil war? The Spanish-American war?

Doesn't that also makes you nut jobs?

What exactly are you on about..

[mawilson 2,133]

Does anyone else find it funny that this thread ("How to Lose an Army") is right next to "Lost - Season 3"?

[Reynaldo 0]

And also, does that makes me, Brazilian of Portuguese origin, a nut job?

Yes

What about the fact that YOU, Americans (not you, Mark, or should I say, Gaius?), also fought to get your own independence?

Because you rebelled against English dominance, aren't you also eligible to that rule?

ETA: What about the war of 1812? The Mexican-American war? The civil war? The Spanish-American war?

Doesn't that also makes you nut jobs?

What exactly are you on about..

The USA was also in conflicts with their neighbors. That is exactly what happens in Iraq, for example, but they don't have well defined borders between ethnicities.

Iraq is in a Civil War right now. When the US were in a Civil War they weren't uncivilized because of it.

[Reynaldo 0]

Basically the point is: they are a proud people going thru some really tough times and to help them we have been messing up with them for a couple of hundred years now...

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Someone needs a history lesson if they think Islam was around 3000 years ago...

That's even before Alexander the Great.

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

Basically the point is: they are a proud people going thru some really tough times and to help them we have been messing up with them for a couple of hundred years now...

Maybe if they would quit blowing up things, and spent their time on more positive things like feeding and educating their own people. Im sure we would nuke them.My god.

[Jenn! 918]

In 3,000 years, what have people from that region brought to humanity?? Jack ######

Actually when you think about it the first wars probably occurred in that region..

Why do you think that is? Genetic makeup?

[mybackpages 0]

Maybe if they would quit blowing up things, and spent their time on more positive things like feeding and educating their own people. Im sure we would nuke them.My god.

Who are "they" exactly?