3. ELI5: 30+ years ago we had such a romantic picture of the Islamic culture (Orien...

ELI5: 30+ years ago we had such a romantic picture of the Islamic culture (Orient Express, Thousand and one nights, Aladin) - and now it's all about terrorism. Did our picture of the Islamic culture change or did they change?

I agree with everything you're saying, so please don't take my comment like a criticism of anything you wrote.

But I just wanted to chime in and vent a little. It's just so insulting comparing Germany and Japan to the Middle East. Not because the Middle East is inferior or unworthy of comparison to Germany or Japan, but THEY had a stable self-run society (even if civilians weren't in control) prior to being invaded by the US.

This is not the same as a society that hasn't had a thing going for itself literally since the Mongols, Babylon, etc etc.

It just pisses me off that people thought that invading Iraq and giving them democracy afterwards would make Iraq into some magical land like West Germany or post-unification Germany or post-60's Japan. Like, seriously.

No.

They aren't the same situation, culturally, religiously, geopolitically, socially, and more. In fact, Japan and Germany have a ton in common when it comes to the role of work and society when it comes to their culture. (Both feudal society turned industrial, strong work ethic and punctual, doesn't find humor in large level bullshitting, etc etc)

Its not a coincidence that Germany and Japan became war machines, and then car industry leaders. Its not a coincidence that Germany and Japan are relatively ahead in the world.

Japan has 120 million some people, and was only recently pushed into the 3rd largest economy by the new 2nd place holder of China.... and Japan is 3rd in the world against a China that has almost 11 times the people that Japan has. 1 billion Chinese people can die in a single day, and there still will be more Chinese people than Japanese.

Sorry, I just had to get that off my chest.

Bless those Iraqi's hearts and it makes me sad that such a powerful and strong and proud civilization can't get their shit together but there are too many players fucking with their society.

You can't heal a wound if you keep on poking at it with an infected tree branch just to fuck with it. And sadly, the US, Iran, Sauda Arabia and other people are all fucking with Iraq. Good intentions or not doesnt mean shit. Good intentions never meant anything. Its about accurate assessment on a situation and tackling it with a cool and calm mind, and leaving people the fuck alone. Too much interventionism. Not saying never intervene, but god dammit, sometimes you just have to let things heal. You dont fuck with a persons organs that you just did surgery on.

Im an American Iraqi war vet, and I have partial Japanese and German ancestry, so this shit really bothers me.

Anyway sorry about that guys. I guess I just really got bothered by something.

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