Leo Gura

I just read 5 books on Middle East history and issues.

Okay, but then you must admit that Islamic extremism is a rampant problem in the Middle East.

There's your answer.

But Libyan's were sick of his rule. They wanted to do a revolution themsleves. You couldn't keep them supressed forever. At some point a revolution would need to happen. You're assuming that a dictator can just peacefully stay in power forever. That's not how it works. The oppressed get restless.

1) It is very good evidence. You should read the book. 2) There are dozens of interviews of such girls. What more evidence do you need? Video tapes of the rapes? Don't be silly. Gadaffi raped so many girls he didn't have time to video tape them all.

Obviously Iraq is a special case and a big US mistake. But if the US did not invade Iraq, it would still be an underdeveloped hell-hole run by Saddam's psychopathic sons. And Muslims like Bin Laden would still criticize it for not being Islamic enough.

Oh yes there is. I just finished reading the biography of a 13 year old girl who Gadaffi raped and imprisoned in his basement for 7 years. She describes all 7 years in vivid detail, and hundreds of other girls who he raped just like her. Gadaffi was an absolute monster. I will add the book to my book list soon and you can read it yourself.

I agree that if the US entirely pulled out of the Middle East and Israel didn't exist, there would be very little terrorism in the Middle East. But the Middle East would then be even more backwards, poor, and warring against each other.

Now here's the funny part: Bin Laden hated Saddam, considered him a secular American stooge, and wanted to otherthrow him and replace him with a proper fundamentalist Taliban-style Islamic state. That's what ISIS was. And as for Gadaffi, he personally raped over 1000 teenage girls, who he held in his sex basement as slaves for years. There's no winning in the Middle East. You only got bad options.

I said that myself earlier. But the West interfered in many parts of the world and they ain't doing terrorism. You don't see South Korea or Philippines doing terrorism.

He actually had 5 wives in all, I think, but a few divorced him.

No one denies there was been some of that. But that is not the Middle East's chief problem. I am only speaking about the last 100 years here, not ancient history. The Middle East is backwards as hell. Beyond anything the West did.

I enjoy watching them, just for laughs. Just don't mistake it for serious analysis.

Uncle Stalin approves.

Wolfram and Hoffman are just doing very different kinds of work. I see no point in pitting them against each other. Wolfram is a genius. But don't go asking him to explain consciousness. And for that matter, don't ask Hoffman to explain consciousness because he has no idea what it is.

I am not going to keep arguing against this leftist talking point. The Middle East's lack of development is not the result of the West, it is rooted in much deeper internal problems.

In the Middle East, without a strong and Western-like government you end up with endless petty tribal conflict and extreme religious fundamentalism which leads to extreme poverty and backwardness like in Yumen, Sudan, or Afghanistan. The West isn't just a different culture, it is a more effective, more developed, more prosperous way if running people. Most people in the Middle East want the material benefits that the West affords. Most people are not Bin Laden, who was happy living with 4 wives and 11 children in a cave, feeding them bread and water.

Yes, of course. That's part of how Westernization happens. Secular leaders are much better for global business. This is capitalism at work. And don't pretend like capitalism doesn't benefit all these nations. Saudi Arabia is swimming in cash thanks to Western capitalism. Saudi Arabia would be Yemen without Western capitalism.

1) Plenty of US government & policy is influenced by Christianity. That's important not to forget. 2) Middle East countries are not secular. They are much more theocratic. There is no seperation of church and state. Their whole legal system is based on Sharia. Sharia judges and courts. Totally different from the Western legal system. The rulers and elites may skirt Sharia, but not the average masses.

I disagreed with general statements. You are asking me about your personal sense of manhood, on which I have no opinion.

This is like what Bin Laden said. Look, no ideology can ever be applied 100% faithfully, because ideology is always a cartoonish view of the world. Of course top-level national policy will be about raw power and money, not Sharia faithfulness. But to say the Middle East is not run on Sharia is silly. Of course Middle East governments are westernizing and secularizing too. But that process is far from total.

It definitely is an ideological issue. Remember, it only takes a handful of radicalized people to create serious problems. It doesn't matter that 70% of people are peaceful. That time is long gone. They will hate Israelis for at least 50 years now. And it failed to deliver a solution, leading to the current situation. This is a common misconception about terrorism. Most terrorists are well educated. The average Arab terrorist has higher college education than the average American. Islamist terrorists are better educated than the average MAGA supporter. So it is about ideology, but not just Islam but also nationalism. Then they have an endless line of new recruits stretching around the block.

That's exatly why I don't want to give you my opinion of you. What matters is your opinion of you.

Not the same. Different ideology. These Islamists are too proud and too eager to martyr themselves. Those are the ones who self-selected to be okay with Israel existing. The ones outside self-selected otherwise. Those outsiders are a different beast who refuse to be tamed. You can tame a horse but not a rhinocerous. But you would still need to heavy blockade and police them because they will be blowing you up every week from the inside. The harassment and hatred will not just melt away.

So Boomer is best. The circle is complete.