on occations in the past, the subject of UK/Ireland and Norther ireland has come up. i read these post, but i almost never comment, because, i am very aware that i have a biased attitude.
pick any year in the past 1000, and look at a map of the eastern edge of the mediterian. power has shifted, peoples have moved. It seem evident that both jews and non jews have lived in the area for 4000+ years. as for what patch of land belongs to who, and as of when, its hard to say.
I tend to side with israel, it is one of the most democratic states in the area. it has done more to improve the land, develop resourses, and provide opportunites for all the people living there, and improve peoples lives with job, housing, and modern infrastructure. but, israel, just like my own country has not been perfect. it has made real, and political blunders.
i don't read enough, or know enough to argue my case that we (the world as a whole) are better off with the state of israel, than we are with out. but it does exist, and jews, (jewish cities, and settlements) are part of the tradition of the area-- not just since 1948, but for thousand of years. this is not a new idea, or some foriegn influence that is being impossed. it is simple a continuation.
unfortunately, warfare is also part of the tradition. the only time there has been any peace, is when a third party has come in and imposed it. It would be nice to think we as humans have evolved to a point where we could learn to live with our neighbors in peace-- but i know, as much as i want it, i am not unbaised-- and i am part of the world problem!
i think this is not really the place to discuss the situation in the mid east, or in ireland, or a handful of other places around the world. it is all to easy to present facts, and at the same time, miss the true picture.
In a total personal way, i sometime talk about my childhood.
nowday, Museums, especialy NY's Natural History Museum, are dear to my heart. i love going to them, and i support them financial. When i was child, the NH museuem was total free.
My parents never, not once took me there. or to any of the other (also free!) museums around NY.
(sounds like they neglected culture, doesn't it?) but they did take me to the zoo, and botanical gardens, and to see the UN (repeatedly to the UN, my Father loved to vistit the UN, did i mention we often went to the UN?) and we got taken to see all the big ships, or navy ships that came to port. (the first atomic submarine stop in NY in 1963/4, and i was taken to see it, and all the big liners in their day.)
so the fact is, NO Museuems. the reality is, i was taken to see many important cultural things in the city-- just not museums.
it's real easy to list facts... and miss the over all picture. and when it comes to Mid east, i know i don't even have all the facts!
shaken
