oldNslow wrote on 09/30/13 at 05:24:25: Quote:I can believe the powers that be (we don't even know who they are) want a one world government and want the population lowered.
That's exactly what the islamic jihadists want. And they have said so again and again. I don't understand why some people won't just take their word for it. Google the attacks in Africa and Pakistan that just happened over the weekend. There is no secret conspiricy behind this.
They are totally open and honest about their evil aims. And their actions confirm that over and over.
Quite.
My own two cents' worth, without quoting anybody or dissenting with anyone else.
I remember a member of the US Embassy in Rome, interviewed by a local TV station a few days after 9/11:
"
Carpet bomb them off the map and convert the (few) survivors to Christianity!"

An eye for an eye ? They don't even need glasses... if you know what I mean.
...
Way back in the 1800's Northern Europe didn't know about the Muslim world, save for the UK and its Colonies. and it was reciprocal.
The Muslim world didn't know and didn't care about Europe in general.
The one exception being Turkey (the Ottoman Empire) which was busy with expansion and administering its territories,
but hat was a
Turkish thing, nothing to do with Islam; proof is that Arabia Felix was a dominion of the Ottomans, Mecca included.
To the US, the Muslim world was "that far away exotic thing" (see the "big hands, small map" theory)
with camels and pyramids and sheiks and veiled, scantily clad young maidens.
And that was it.
FYI and amusement, try
http://www.arrse.co.uk/int-corps/169109-most-irritating-staff-officer-buzz-ph... 
...
At that time... the Opulent Virgin Continent, Africa, is being slowly shared and divided as a side dish to the Cold War.
Some self-appointed leaders wink at the Ocean, others wink at the Urals. Sometimes, self-appointed leaders are "sacrificed for the cause of the people" and other leaders are appointed from far away.
Depending on how the wind blows, the local government is more or less efficient, active and/ or corrupt, and may or may not get things done for the people.
When the Cold War ends, the two Big Brothers recede and many nations are left to themselves.
Suddenly, the efficiency (or lack of) the corruption (the plenty of) the things done (not many, or not enough of) come to light and resentment rises.
Whereas the Ural Connection is replaced swiftly and efficiently with the Yellow Connection, and more things get done, more quickly, with better infrastructure... elsewhere governments are often left to their own means, and things may turn nasty;
see the Duvalier Dinasty in Haiti, and the sad demise of Pres. Aristide; see Rwanda and Burundi; see Iran and Afghanistan, which were modern and benevolent nations until "too moch became too much"...

People, The people, need an ideal to look up to. If they can't find it in politics, they will turn elsewhere.
Iraq and Syria were secular nations, with a King, until "Presidents" affiliated to simil-socialist Party Baath took power.
But Baath is secular in itself, so no problem there, right ?
Egypt was a secular nation, with a King, until a "President" killed him and took power, setting up a secular Republic, so no problem there, right ?
Nigeria ? Pakistan ?
Anytime Government Aid is replaced by "Industrial interference", things go awry. Check it out, you don't need a history book, just use any search engine and input the words "oil" and "protest";
but "coal", "bananas", "sugar"... regularly go hand in hand with "EXXON" "BP" "HSBC" and any "Government" of an outside yet rich and powerful Nation.
So, before you start hating them all, ask yourselves why the 1950's camel driver was happy for your one $1 bill, his son asked for $10 and still felt like he was getting gypped,
and these days the nephew, with a cellphone, Twitter and all internet services available, is crying bloody murder!
I didn't do it, you didn't do it, and no small "Mom&Pop" family run business sure as Heaven&Earth didn't do it!
But somehow, someway, why is it that grandad could live like a king with $5/day and these days you can't feed a family of four for twenty times as much?
Remember, guys, nobody throws a revolution on a full stomach.
And the One individual any foreign investor will
never ever buy ... is
your own God, whichever name you call him by, G*d, YHWH, Jesus, whatever.
So people who feel cheated and tread upon become religious fanatics, be it in Iraq or Peru.
Really.