Why does almost no one talk about a country for the Kurds, but constantly focus on a country for the Palestinians?
The Kurds has been a separate people for centuries. They live in a relatively compact contiguous area which today constitutes parts of Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Iran. They are treated badly everywhere. In Turkey they are not even allowed to speak their own language. At least Palestinians are Arabs and Arabs have many countries. Do the Arabs really need another country, while the Kurds have none and the Jews just one.
Actually, I just had a thought-- what would have happened in 1948 if there were no Jews in the area? After the British left,would there have been the creation of a Palestinian State or, as I believe more likely, just Greater Syria/Jordan/Egypt? Maybe Greater Lebanon too.
Yes, I know the reality, at this point in time, is that we need the creation of a Palestinian state, but something tells me that, ironically, without the Jews living in the region with an historical claim to the land, there would be no thought of a Palestinian homeland.
As to the Kurds, some have suggested that if they were fighting Jews or if there were wealthier Kurds living in the US , we would hear more about a country for them.
All things considered the Kurds have a stronger claim to a country of their own than most countries in that region.
Eric
P.S. Don't even get me started on Tibet.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Get Real
Congress stop being crazy. Raise debt the ceiling now before the credit markets panic, and adopt Simpson Bowles as a long term economic plan.
I believe that would ignite our economy, create jobs and raise incomes. Yes, raise taxes/revenues, but put our fiscal house in order as well.
Unfortunately that is not the real aim of either party.
The Republicans don't want to solve the deficit problem, they want to eliminate government. They want to drastically cut down on the role of government, and are using this crisis as a means to accomplish that goal.
While the Democrats aren't nearly as bad, they are playing into the Republicans hands by refusing to make even sensible moderate changes to entitlements programs like refusing to raise the retirement age for Social Security by just 1 year and that beginning 30 years from now.
A strong, fiscally sound US would leave the hopeless EU in the dust and fend off rising China. All we need is the common sense approach embodied in the Simpson Bowles proposal.
Eric
I believe that would ignite our economy, create jobs and raise incomes. Yes, raise taxes/revenues, but put our fiscal house in order as well.
Unfortunately that is not the real aim of either party.
The Republicans don't want to solve the deficit problem, they want to eliminate government. They want to drastically cut down on the role of government, and are using this crisis as a means to accomplish that goal.
While the Democrats aren't nearly as bad, they are playing into the Republicans hands by refusing to make even sensible moderate changes to entitlements programs like refusing to raise the retirement age for Social Security by just 1 year and that beginning 30 years from now.
A strong, fiscally sound US would leave the hopeless EU in the dust and fend off rising China. All we need is the common sense approach embodied in the Simpson Bowles proposal.
Eric
Surrender
Al Qaeda should "surrender" to US and announce that they no longer will attack us. Why do they keep fighting us. They are getting their "brains beat out" and would be more effective dealing with their other enemies if we weren't there killing their leaders.
Maybe they don't have to "surrender", but somehow make it clear to us that they are no longer coming after us. With all of our high tech drones, missiles and special forces , do they really want us as an active enemy? Given our new spirit of isolationism , I'm pretty sure we won't jump to the defense of our allies if Al Qaeda weren't threatening us.
We can then just declare that the War on Terror, at least as far as the USA is concerned, is over and we won.
Even the most fanatical can't really believe they can takeover the USA; so just give up and focus on someone they can beat without us involved like the Europeans and the rest of the Muslim world.
I thought you all would enjoy a good laugh.
Eric
Maybe they don't have to "surrender", but somehow make it clear to us that they are no longer coming after us. With all of our high tech drones, missiles and special forces , do they really want us as an active enemy? Given our new spirit of isolationism , I'm pretty sure we won't jump to the defense of our allies if Al Qaeda weren't threatening us.
We can then just declare that the War on Terror, at least as far as the USA is concerned, is over and we won.
Even the most fanatical can't really believe they can takeover the USA; so just give up and focus on someone they can beat without us involved like the Europeans and the rest of the Muslim world.
I thought you all would enjoy a good laugh.
Eric
Not your usual foreclosure story
Sunday June 19th front page NYT foreclosure article. http://s.nyt.com/u/4cHv
At last the story is out, sort of. Millions living rent free and more. The untold story of the foreclosure debacle. Now don't get me wrong, a whole lot of people have obviously lost their homes and are suffering , but according to that article, many are just staying put and living rent free, while the lenders are screwing up trying to foreclose, or as the article says, sometimes no longer even trying to foreclose. According to a defense lawyer many of his clients are renting out their properties, not paying their mortgages and pocketing the difference.
I'm not trying to disparage the vast majority who got in over their heads and may have been the victim of predatory lending practices , but my point is that the economic impact on many people in foreclosure may not be as bad as the headlines would lead us to believe. Not likely to hear about this Times article on the morning talk shows. It doesn't fit the conventional narrative, and frankly I was quite surprised (and pleased) it was done by the New York Times.
Also it all of this "sky in falling" foreclosure mania that is prolonging this recession and this article, if understood by the public, might somewhat lessen that negative perspective.
Eric
At last the story is out, sort of. Millions living rent free and more. The untold story of the foreclosure debacle. Now don't get me wrong, a whole lot of people have obviously lost their homes and are suffering , but according to that article, many are just staying put and living rent free, while the lenders are screwing up trying to foreclose, or as the article says, sometimes no longer even trying to foreclose. According to a defense lawyer many of his clients are renting out their properties, not paying their mortgages and pocketing the difference.
I'm not trying to disparage the vast majority who got in over their heads and may have been the victim of predatory lending practices , but my point is that the economic impact on many people in foreclosure may not be as bad as the headlines would lead us to believe. Not likely to hear about this Times article on the morning talk shows. It doesn't fit the conventional narrative, and frankly I was quite surprised (and pleased) it was done by the New York Times.
Also it all of this "sky in falling" foreclosure mania that is prolonging this recession and this article, if understood by the public, might somewhat lessen that negative perspective.
Eric
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