mistaken and misguided

Submitted by Cevert (United States), Oct 25, 2006 at 11:55

A former Egyptian Foreign Minister once described the Mid East as tribes with flags. Yet we set about trying to create conditions in Iraq roughly similar to those found in both Japan and Germany post 1945, hoping beyond hope that the "Iraqis" would build themselves a stable and democratic society, serving as an inducement to others in the region to reach for the same brass ring. C'mon, let's get real. When was the last time anyone saw or heard anyone from the entire region manifest any pride or identity with the "country" of their birth? I'll bet we've all witnessed the exclamations from our European cousins, whether they be English, Scottish, Irish etc.

Who hasn't heard Forza Italia? Or witnessed ecstatic Brazilian soccer fans waving their green and yellow standards? Lord Deedes recently wrote in the Telegraph a piece proclaiming the Muslims will never assimilate into British society, well how can they when they've never known what it is to be of a national spirit? The region is less a geographic collection of countries and more an amalgamation of family businesses. Only the Saudis are honest enough to put their name on the door.

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