Here's the advice an Israeli settler in the West Bank has for the Americans in Iraq:
The US is fighting a losing battle trying to help a people that wants, or more accurately, needs to be subjugated and managed with a heavy hand. Saddam’s style of rule was unfortunately right when it comes to Arabs.When he puts it that way it sounds like bigotry, but when you live in the West Bank you can't afford to indulge in multi-culti happy thoughts about your neighbours.Just look at all the primitive Church burnings the Arabs are doing now merely because of something the Pope quoted.
These are the actions of a primitive people - nothing more.
Reading this reminds me of a conversation I had with some white Rhodesians many years ago when they lectured me on the backward, tribal customs of the majority in the country. They predicted that the people would never successfully manage a democratic country themselves and it would quickly descend into corrupt and vicious tribal chaos. It sounded like bigotry at the time, but more than twenty years later one could not say the prediction was inaccurate.
Reasons why democracy as we know it in the west will never take hold on it's own in these backward societies:
1) tribalism
2) religious conflicts
3) historicaly based disputes over borders imposed on them by outsiders
4) warlords and druglords mixed in with religious zealot mullahs, each trying to control their own turf and expand into others' territory
5) religious schools (madrassas) where children are brainwashed into becoming extremist drones and future terrorists
6) Extremist, fundamentalist followers of Islam, who take the Quaran literally, and refuse to question the Quaran
7) the easy availability of modern weapons to people with no education, atrocious social values, no respect for rule of law, and hearts filled with hate
8) the religion of Islam itself - a dark, unbending, dogmatic belief system that is more of a barbaric cult than a true religion
I am sure there are more reasons, but the above are the major ones. Of course, the culprits in question deny all of the above and simply point their fingers at the USA or the western world in general, and blame us for all of their problems.
The only way that this madness will stop, is for each of the above conditions to be either addressed properly by their own people, or erased from the planet by use of force. Either way, it will take a long, long time. Generations, not just years.
'When he puts it that way it sounds like bigotry'
Um. That is bigotry.
Do a little research and you will find your typical Israeli settler is a fundamentalist that you probably would'nt take home to dinner.
Israel is a theocracy - a two-tier apartheid society. That is a fact.
To call Lebanon, for instance, 'backwards' - and Israel 'forward looking' or somehow sectarian in nature - well that's just plain false. I'm no ideologue, but I like to call a spade a spade.
Also, to respond to 'Joe Canuck'
"8) the religion of Islam itself - a dark, unbending, dogmatic belief system that is more of a barbaric cult than a true religion"
All religions are cults of hysteria and conformity. Look to the Crusades for needless expense of human life on a massive scale - organized by what, presumably, you would call a 'true religion' - Christianity and all its schisms.
Religion is, as they say the opiate of the masses. 9/10 smart people don't believe in invisible supermen.
Ah, yes indeed. The Crusades.
Still sticks in your craw does it?
How many years has it been now??
Get over it.
Christianity long ago shook off its worst moments in history. Why is Islam still stubbornly holding onto its barbaric middle ages dogma?
How many centuries does Islam need to reform itself? How can it reform itself, when it shows absolutely no desire to do so?
"They predicted that the people would never successfully manage a democratic country themselves and it would quickly descend into corrupt and vicious tribal chaos."
The last paragraph sounds more like a Liberal Leadership race!
Seriously though--this is typical Zionist double-speak--they state that they are the only democracy in the ME and then they spout drivel like this--is that their definition of 'democracy'?