You could well be right, Sabrina. I think part of the problem is that many Americans don't have a very clear understanding of the world. Yes, a lot of us travel abroad but that is often to resorts and well known tourist sites, and understanding the deeper history and cultures of even these places is spotty. Business people may often trav…
You could well be right, Sabrina. I think part of the problem is that many Americans don't have a very clear understanding of the world. Yes, a lot of us travel abroad but that is often to resorts and well known tourist sites, and understanding the deeper history and cultures of even these places is spotty. Business people may often travel and trade abroad...but it is usually with people like them and they certainly aren't likely to visit the poorer areas if they can help it. (I'm at the other extreme, having been to well over 100 countries just for fun and to see the "real" world, as well as holding graduate degrees in geography.)
This is nothing new...think of how in the 1930s Chamberlain wrote off Czechoslovakia as a "distant country" that Hitler could have, and how even in World War 2 the U.S. government had to make films explaining to the public "Why we fight." So it is no surprise today that places like Ukraine, Taiwan or Gaza are "out there" and of little interest to many Americans struggling with higher prices. Speaking very generally, we don't have long attention spans and we want simple answers to complicated questions. When Trump can get away with calling Biden a "Communist" you know that few people are listening.
our public education systems have been poorly funded for about two decades; it's been a steady - deliberate- decline. I've read that the disdain for public education began under Reagan; that's easy to believe. Most of our decline began then.
Doc. I don't think that we can count Gaza as a flashpoint, it is a special case, although the Ummah hyperventilates and gets student and other idiots to fall out an block bridges, freeways, parade with signs and call Jews names. The Arab states are not interested in the Gazans or West bank Arab residents.
Egypt has built a wall to keep them out. What you call Palestine use to belong to Jordan, and the Kingdoms of Jordan and Saudi Arabia, want nothing to do with these people, they block them from entering and deport them when they sneak through. They have stable societies, and they would only be destabilized if they accepted them.
Jordan is already overwhelmed by Syrian Refugees, and the Syrians are not at war with the Jews, like the Gazans and West Bank are, and the children haven't been raised on comic books that depict Jews as Vampires and ogres
Now Iran that is a problem, Iran has to keep the Jews front and center as a threat and target of animosity, because most authoritarian societies need a common threat. Think of how the earth would respond to an alien invasion. Well some would try to sell out and broker a deal as Quislings, people and nations. Like MAGA and Greenies are doing towards Russia.
Iran has to go through Iraq, Jordan and possibly Saudi Arabia to get to Israel.
Easier said than done. Iran and Iraq are predominantly Shia, and thus you would think natural allies, but Iran is not Arab, Iraq is, and there is a long simmering hostility between Arabs and Iranians. One that Saddam took advantage of in his war with Iran.
The Arab nations want nothing to do with HAMAS, Gazans, West Bank, Iran does because they are useful for domestic and strategic purposes, but. let's call Gaza Iran's martyrs, their sacrifice to Allah.
You could well be right, Sabrina. I think part of the problem is that many Americans don't have a very clear understanding of the world. Yes, a lot of us travel abroad but that is often to resorts and well known tourist sites, and understanding the deeper history and cultures of even these places is spotty. Business people may often travel and trade abroad...but it is usually with people like them and they certainly aren't likely to visit the poorer areas if they can help it. (I'm at the other extreme, having been to well over 100 countries just for fun and to see the "real" world, as well as holding graduate degrees in geography.)
This is nothing new...think of how in the 1930s Chamberlain wrote off Czechoslovakia as a "distant country" that Hitler could have, and how even in World War 2 the U.S. government had to make films explaining to the public "Why we fight." So it is no surprise today that places like Ukraine, Taiwan or Gaza are "out there" and of little interest to many Americans struggling with higher prices. Speaking very generally, we don't have long attention spans and we want simple answers to complicated questions. When Trump can get away with calling Biden a "Communist" you know that few people are listening.
appreciate the perspective, but it seems our dummying-down has become deliberate in the past 20 years or so.
Sabrina, ever since organized religion we have been dumbed down. Throw in unlimited greed and the family unit and you have a recipe for dictatorship.
💯
our public education systems have been poorly funded for about two decades; it's been a steady - deliberate- decline. I've read that the disdain for public education began under Reagan; that's easy to believe. Most of our decline began then.
Doc. I don't think that we can count Gaza as a flashpoint, it is a special case, although the Ummah hyperventilates and gets student and other idiots to fall out an block bridges, freeways, parade with signs and call Jews names. The Arab states are not interested in the Gazans or West bank Arab residents.
Egypt has built a wall to keep them out. What you call Palestine use to belong to Jordan, and the Kingdoms of Jordan and Saudi Arabia, want nothing to do with these people, they block them from entering and deport them when they sneak through. They have stable societies, and they would only be destabilized if they accepted them.
Jordan is already overwhelmed by Syrian Refugees, and the Syrians are not at war with the Jews, like the Gazans and West Bank are, and the children haven't been raised on comic books that depict Jews as Vampires and ogres
Now Iran that is a problem, Iran has to keep the Jews front and center as a threat and target of animosity, because most authoritarian societies need a common threat. Think of how the earth would respond to an alien invasion. Well some would try to sell out and broker a deal as Quislings, people and nations. Like MAGA and Greenies are doing towards Russia.
Iran has to go through Iraq, Jordan and possibly Saudi Arabia to get to Israel.
Easier said than done. Iran and Iraq are predominantly Shia, and thus you would think natural allies, but Iran is not Arab, Iraq is, and there is a long simmering hostility between Arabs and Iranians. One that Saddam took advantage of in his war with Iran.
The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is westernized and wants nothing to do with Islamic wars, especially Shia Iran. It even has a contingent of women in the Armed Force, hijab and all, but not wearing bee keeper suits., you won't find this in Saudi Arabia, syria, Iraq and Iran. Makes my heart throb https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTni41s_egQ&ab_channel=%D0%97%D0%92%D0%95%D0%97%D0%94%D0%90%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%BC%D0%B5%D0%B9%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B9%D0%BF%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%BD%D0%B8 and not all are wearing hijabs, the put the IDF to shame at least on the parade field.
The Arab nations want nothing to do with HAMAS, Gazans, West Bank, Iran does because they are useful for domestic and strategic purposes, but. let's call Gaza Iran's martyrs, their sacrifice to Allah.