The Crusades.

[Collegeinvester1000]

I am not defending the Crusades, but does anyone notice that no one ever seems to mention the Islamic Conquest that spread across arabia, north africa, and how there were multiple times Muslims tried (and did) conquer European lands? Any thoughts? Maybe it's just me.

[Iraqi Al Yahud]

yes,
Arab occupation of north africa, the levant and iraq. Arabs are relative new commers to the region. Berbers, Tuareg, Assyrians, Jews, Yezidis, Kurds were all there before the Arab invaders.

[Collegeinvester1000]

Many of these groups are interrealted however, much like the Germanic Europeans (English, Scandanavia, Germans) and the slavs (Polish Russian, Czech) but I am glad I wasn't the only one hwo noticed the double standard when the issue of the Crusades come up.

[Iraqi Al Yahud]

See,
Now you have a response to someone advocating against "Israeli occupation" of Palestine. I just respond by saying, end the Arab occupation of Egypt, or Lebanon, or Iraq.

[Collegeinvester1000]

are you Israeli?

[TwoTone]

I wonder if these times will go down in history as " The Democratic Crusades". Crusades not in the name of religion... but in the name of Democracy. While there is nothing wrong with democracy, I really do love the fact that the people have the power. It really should not be force fed to people. The world knows that democracy exists and the people will turn to it if they want it. Its not up to any one to decide what kind of government a country will have if they are living outside of that country.

TT

[Iraqi Al Yahud]

I am Jewish married to an Iraqi national living in Michigan

[Iraqi Al Yahud]

Still trying to get an Iraqi passport. But the Iraqi embassy here in DC is dragging its feet.

[Collegeinvester1000]

twotone I see your point BUT the catch is that under a ruler like saddam or the taliban how would one simply choose "democracy". As a side note, the US is a Republic. Maybe I'm being too technical since one could say "a republic is a form of a democracy" but PURE democracy isn't that great either when you have more than a few thousand people. I thikn Iraq/Afghanistan will be representative republics as well.

[TwoTone]

Whatever they become, I hope its something that the people of that nation wanted. We dont want the " World Police " to have to step in again.

[Collegeinvester1000]

Why just pick on the US for "being the world police" What about the Belgian and French "peace keepers" in the Congo? Oh, they aren't policeing they are peace keeping, I guess that's why Congo is still ravaged with terrible war and that the Belgian army weren't equipped to fight off muraders with swords and maschettes. The way I see it is is either DO SOMTHING or don't get involved, I don't like the half assed approach the corrupt UN and SOME European Nations seem to have

[Psycho for Dinar]

I thought "French peacekeeper" was slang for "white sale at K-Mart"?