If I ruled the world (part 2)

Back in "If I ruled the world" (part 1) we looked at some of the problems in my neighbourhood and the rest of Canada. In very short order, we solved most of them including the Quebec Separatists one. I said we were going to have a look at the Middle East and see if we could straighten that out too.

You have to remember that this is from a Canadian perspective that does not know all of the dynamics and intricacies of the situation so comments and feedback would be most appreciated. So, here goes!

First a few general observations so let’s put things back into perspective here, (where have I heard that before.)

1. The biggest problem is naturally the Arab / Israeli conflict, or to put it more succinctly, a Palestinian homeland. Back about a thousand years ago the Arabs and the Jews were actually getting along quite well. It was the Christians that the Arabs (and Persians and Kurds etc.) were having trouble with. All this changed when the Jews returned in 1948 after everyone else in the world refused to accept the refugees from Hitler’s Germany.
2. European Colonialism that caused unimaginable damage to the region. Which in turn was further complicated by............
3. Middle East Oil - too much money too fast leading to......
4. Huge disparities in wealth between the fortunate few and the uneducated masses, which then led to..............
5. Despotic or tyrannical Regimes. (Saudi, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Egypt, Libya, etc. etc.)
6. Arab "machismo" and their treatment of women.
7. The continued role of the leaders (Imams) of Islam in maintaining the "status quo" that was established over a thousand years ago and which they are desperately trying to maintain.
8. The escalating conflict between Shiite and Sunni sects and such groups as the Taliban. The Shiite and Sunni for dominance and the Taliban for absolute control and the Kurds for separatism and on and on.
9. Cultural traditions that desperately need to be changed and modernized. Come on people, this is the twenty first century, not the fourteenth.
10. On the one hand Tribalism, and on the other, Nationalism!
11. Arab refusal to accept the fact that they are not the world cultural and religious and political power they used to be at the height of the Arabic empire.
12. And finally, right back where we started, Israelis refusal to deal with the Palestinian issue properly.

There you have it – “The Dirty Dozen."

Now before we try to find some solutions I need your help in making sure these facts are reasonably correct and put the problem into perspective so comments are needed. This is not a read and discard thread, it has become interactive.

Once we get the problem properly into perspective then we can move on and try and find some solutions.

Hey, isn't that a Canadians role? Honest broker and peacekeeper!

Your faithful scribe
Allan W Janssen

Allan W Janssen is the author of The Plain Truth About God-101 (what the church doesn't want you to know!) and can be found at;
http://www.God-101.com And the petition to have people mind their own business instead of yours at;
http://www.petitiononline.com/moses/petition.html