You've got to know
that subject
is
and always will be
a can of worms.

There is ample evidence to conclude the stability of the middle east is not achievable in our lifetime. That will forever be the case if cynics such as the ones I see in this thread remain in the majority. The effort to extend the olive branch to all sides of this debate, is at least worthy of consideration. Our children and our children's children deserve that headstart on resolving the conflicts in that part of the world. Bush may not be able to broker peace, and the same may be said for the next president. A hopeful vision for the future will not manifest until hopeful minds conceive that possiblity. The fruit of negotiations today may very well produce seeds that take root tomorrow but to not even try is the absolute best way to insure they will not.

The Middle East has been spinning way out of control far before Bush, most people simply put it on the back burner for far too long. We had issues far before the Iranian Hostage Crisis in which President Carter made us look soooo weak that the Arab world dislikes most of all. To show weakness before the Middle Eastern culture is a horrible mistake.

The Middle East will never have true peace, there will never ben an end to violence, but the same can be said for most of the world. However, there is a huge reason as to why it will never be secure in the Middle East and a great deal of that has to do with socioeconomic reasons directly tied with religion. The same goes for Africa, the two areas play off each other so very well.

However, there is are big reasons as to why violence will only become MUCH MUCH worse in the Middle East in the future.

OIL

The world needs it more and more. As countries rise in technology they will need more oil and thus the sapping of the black gold will only increase. With this, terrorists have recently made more brazen attacks, in Saudi Arabia a few months back terrorists tried to blow up an oil plant, but failed. Should they blow up one, two, or somehow sink a ship at the mouth of the oil shipping parking lot the world will explode in economic turmoil, which will as a result bring huge tensions between world powers.

What is in the greater future is only more chaos for that region. WHEN oil becomes second or an obsolete source of fuel for the west the huge cash flow going to Middle Eastern countries will dry up. As a result their economies will tank and the people will get restless. It will bring horrible revolutions and war that will spread across the region as there will be a new need for resource grabbing for the oil profits will dry up.

Starsailor2851...
Oil, for the foreseeable future is the major barrier to peace. I for one am hopeful that technology will overcome the worlds demand for oil. It is not an impossible senerio that oil could even become obsolete. With that barrier removed peace might be achieveable. I know that technology is way down the road but it is coming.

Not just , no peace in the mideast, but no peace anywhere with the people we have that are trying to take over the world.It is a good thing Russia and China keep an eye on us, it helps us stay out of trouble better. I read that lots of the people who have been escaping Russia since 1976 by the plane load , are now many of them in the govt in this country, I read that we have lots of dual citizenship people in our govt. It is my understanding that Israel was one of the citizenships, and that Russian , french, english ,etc is the other possible citizenships. Have you ever wondered why we have foreigners in important positions in this country, many times if you just listen to them talk, it is easy to tell they are not from HERE!!!!So it is not just the mideast that needs peace, the whole world is threatened, but it is blamed on the mideast, on Arabs. They say it takes two to Tango!! I don't think that the Arabs have been trying to take over the world,,But I believe that Israel Is connected to trying to take over the World , and they are in the Mideast too. Somehow no one seems to mention them.

I think we could have peace in the mideast if we got all dual citizenship people out of our govt,and all the zionists who favor Israel above our own people ,and our own families. they do not seem to have our best interests at heart.Nor that of our children, the soldiers. They seem to be after money, oil ,and power (not peace).

I pray for peace in the middle east but as long as one side insists that the only satisfactory solution to the problem is the total destruction of the other side I see little hope for any peaceful solution.

Anti-Semitism

Try not to be so sensitive Sergeant kettle.

SMO, you really should get out of the bomb shelter from time to time for a little fresh air don't you think?

I agree completely but I have to pause to wonder what the middle east will do when their main source of income and their main bargaining chip is no longer viable. It is possible if not probable that it will be an issue in our life times.

Hi,

thanks TX star guy for your reminder to "at least try" and not just give up. (even if it looks hopeless).

Anyway, if USA can go oiless - which we could very soon - (and maybe Eur too??) then China and Russia will be the Middle East's main buyers for a long time to come. Then what? Will the US still be interested? As each country develops more and more, the rest of Africa and other places, there will be an increase for oil from them. Even if we go Green, all them developing countries will be happy to recycle all our cars.

How do U think a Green USA will affect things?

The people who say the middle east has always been this way are people who haven't studied their history very close. From around the sixth to tenth centuries Baghdad was one of the nicest places people could go, folks came from all over the world to share mathmatics, science, art, poetry, and even landscaping techniques. In fact many things we enjoy here in the west today began over there. The middle east is sort of in their dark ages right now, there was no new empire or federal government to replace the Ottamens after WW1 and they seperated out into rivaling regions. Peace is possible, but I don't see Bush being the one to make it happen, too much resentment against him to work;^]

Leave SMO alone.i wuv him..

Peace in the middle east ...that will be the day.

cutelildevilsmom

??Typical US Bulls**t?? Feel free to take you arse out of the country and go where the Taliban controls everything and let one of them hear you say " Typical Muslim Bulls**t" You don't like the situation then leave.

There is not a single person on this green Earth who NEEDS oil, or other fossil fuels. Yes tehy make life nicer and more convenient, but they are not NEEDED.

Only ONE outcome..total war. Isreal would wipe out Palistine, then all the other Arab countries would be pissed and whine moan and complain...but don;t have the gut to take on Isreal, because Isreal "don't play".

That is the ONLY possible outcome.

Now you're talking! Only the "idiots" (I am meaning thst in the true definition of the word..not as a "flame") would have such an opinion as we "need" oil. They think that civilzation of the entire earth revolves around something that has onlt been prominent over the last 50 years..NOT the 5,000+ years of recorded mankind.

But as the old saying goes...those who fail to LEARN FROM THE PAST (and we are talking more than 50 years you IDIOTS) are doomed to make the same MISTAKES in the FUTURE! Anyone with a half thinking mind can put that little puzzle together!

And what makes me angry is out government putting AMERICAN LIVES on the line for something like OIL! That makes me FURIOUS! It's not freedom, it's not stopping opression .. it for SOMEONE ELSES GREED! And that is WRONG!

Let the middle east be the MIDDLE EAST! They do not hate America because of our prosparity, thats simple American BRAINWASHING!!! They hate America because America is putting its nose in other people business in which AMERICA HAS NO RIGHT! ANYTHING that happens OUTSIDE the borders of the USA is NOT the USA's BUSINESS! Unless we are asked or invited to participate..and in MOST CASES that is NOT what happens!

If they have so much time on thier hands, why in the hell do they not FIX THE PROBLEMS RIGHT HERE IN AMERICA!!!??? We have now the "education" system that in most forms are dropping down to a 3rd world country level...why!? We have continued social and economic crisis on many levels that have been around sine I was a kids and LONGER...why!? So instead of FIXING the problems in the USA, they put thier nose where it does not belong.

A LITTLE WAKE-UP CALL to the "idiots" (again the true term) of America. Do you not realize WHO bailed out the American banks over the mortgage fall out????? CHINA!!!!!! And do you have ANY IDEA the consiquenses to such a structure!!!??? If loans now default, WHO HAS TITLE AND CLAIM TO THAT AMERICAN PROPERTY!!!??? CHINA YOU MORONS!!!!

The STUPIDY and GREED of the American people will be its downfall! And just to clarify, I am an AMERICAN, but HATE our corrupt government and am ASHAMED of all the greedy, self center and STUPID (in its TRUE form..look it up in Websters) American people!

For the Americans who actually still think and love this country, I salute you. You are rare and a huge MINORITY now.

As to the middle east..they will continue to fight..with or without US presense there. AMERICANS make NO DIFFERENCE, except give them MORE REASON to HATE the USA!