Middle-East Peace is Tougher Than I Thought!

I'm still working on that Middle-East peace thing I told you I would solve.

But God Dammit, it's a tough one!

The main problem lies with Arab culture, and it's not going to get any better anytime soon!

Now call me a racists, or call me a politically incorrect idiot, or anything else you care to throw my way, but no matter how you look at it a lot of the problem in the Middle-East stems from the Arab cultural trait of saying one thing and meaning another. Or saying one thing, and then doing something else entirely because it seems more expedient at that particular moment.

Listen folks, you can condemn me from here to eternity for saying this, but I have worked with-and-for Arabs a long time now. (We have a large Arab population here in London.) Plus my wife spent a few years in Saudi Arabia, so we know the Arab mentality quite well!

Believe me, when negotiating with an Arab, honesty and personal integrity don't amount to a hill of beans. (But please don't confuse integrity with "honor," that's a whole different ball-game!)

What I'm saying is that you better be aware of the fluidity of the Arab mind if you don't want to get taken to the cleaners and then dragged down the street and thrown into a dumpster before you even realize that negotiations have started!

The whole mindset of these people is "winning," not "playing fair!"

Once again, you might call me a racist for saying this, but it is NOT a racial trait amongst the Arabs.

It's a cultural one!

So I guess you could call me a "Culturalist!"

Whatever you do want to call it, that's what is making peace over there so damned hard.

The ground rules keep changing depending on the circumstances.

(Because of this attitude, that's why we see the Arab fighting with the Israeli, and then, when that dies down, they start fighting amongst themselves. Sunni against Shi'a, Shi'a against Sunni, Sunni and Shi'a against the Sufi and then all of them against The Bahá'í, The Druze and the Zoroastrians.)

Wheeeee!

Little wonder things never settle down!

This brings me to the United States of America.

After the Iraq war nearly bankrupted the country, President Obama is pulling out, and not a moment too soon.

But!

He is talking about an increase in troops in Afghanistan, and that would be a big mistake to think that a war can be won there.

NOBODY has conquered Afghanistan in all of recorded history kids!

You have a bunch of mountain tribes that make the hillbilly's of Kentucky seem like an enlightened bunch, and on top of that they are tough, mean, superstitious, ready to fight at the drop of a hat and just generally disagreeable.

The British couldn't tame that country.

The Russians couldn't do it.

NATO won't do it either.

Period.

Want some advice?

Leave them alone and try to keep them isolated as much as possible.

Just make sure not too much opium gets smuggled out.

Other than that, you're no better off than gettin' spit at by a camel!!

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-Well said
Kimber L

-Hate to dispute a man who's "been there," but... That "Cultural" trait you're talking about is more a religious trait. It closely parallels the Christian version of things in the 16th and 17th centuries. No one who is not of your VERSION of your faith, and certainly no one who is not of your faith at all, is worthy of your integrity. God doesn't demand integrity OR honesty when dealing with infidels... in either case, Christian or Muslim; or in any sect of those two religions.
Christianity (with a few nutball exceptions) has grown (evolved?) and no longer sees it that way. But Islam still does. In the middle east (and Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well) we're trying to deal with a medieval religious culture in a 21st century world, and they simply will NOT accept that the former can't be allowed to control the latter. So long as our leaders insist on treating with those countries as if their leaders were going to keep any promises they make, or make their societies in ANY way human, we're gonna keep being surprised in a bad way.
Israel's in an even WORSE place. They're the smudgy little cousin EVERY islamic sect would like to see driven out of town, or better yet, hung at the town gate. What they did to the Palestinians doesn't bear remembering, and what the major Arabian players did to make it worse is just unconscionable. This will NEVER go away. We can extricate ourselves by working really, Really REALLY hard and fast at getting off the oil diet, but until we're successful at that, we're gonna stay a target, and a focus for hate.
Of course, those Christian nutballs I spoke of earlier would create the same theocracy as the Muslims, just with Jesus on the throne in Jerusalem. And if they can't find Jesus, we'll have a war or two to 'select' one.
TERRIFYING thought, in either case, eh?
Chuck L


-Allan; Thanks for enlightening us.
Linda T

-Allan, Remember the crusades? not that I suggest you were around then, but...I too am from London, moved back to L.A. in '81 with visits to mum till she passed in 05, so I know what you mean about assimilating with the Arab population. You can't!
I did 'date' a couple of what I guess are Arabs back in the 70s a bit, one Egyptian and one Persian (not Iranian), they were quite Anglo in their culture by then so i don't know where I am going on that one, but yes, no one ever won in Afganistan nor will they, and why would you want that country any way? good one Allan.
Georgiana S.

-Chuckie; Yes, you are right it is a "religious" trait but if I admitted that someone would yell racist, when it is a well known fact that some sects of Islam consider infidels to not be worthy of respect, honesty, fair play or anything else. They are to be converted or killled. Period.
Also, I think you are being a little hard on the Israeli's. Oh yes, I know that they are not blameless in this whole mess, but given the circumstances, and if I had to make a decision on who I wanted watching my back, I would have to go with the Jews every time!
Allan W Janssen


Allan W Janssen is the author of the book The Plain Truth About God (What the mainstream religions don't want you to know......!) and is available as an E-Book H E R E ! and as a paperback H E R E !

Visit the blog "Perspective" at http://allans-perspective.blogspot.com