this post was submitted on 22 Feb 2025
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[–] finitebanjo 4 points 5 hours ago

Don't forget empires arming and funding them to cause problems for people on the other side since...

*scrolling down long piece of paper past Russia and China

*it just keeps getting longer past the world wars era

*jfc the byzantines aren't even halfway there

*I can't read ancient pheonician...

*this list contains another partial copy of the epic of gilgamesh...

[–] SmackemWittadic 8 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago) (1 children)

The Sykes-Picot agreement back in 1916 was absolutely intended to cause war. There were literally no set borders in the Arabian peninsula before it.

Divide and conquer was the game plan of western powers from the start

[–] finitebanjo 5 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago) (1 children)

Many historians attribute the downfall of middle eastern empires to 18th century technological stagnation compared to both western and eastern adversaries, just under two centuries prior to the sykes-picot agreement.

The east has had just as much with destroying the middle east as the west, and arguably far more during the time of the USSR.

[–] SmackemWittadic 6 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago)

Fair point, the influence of the USSR middle eastern politics is something that isn't given as much credit as it should.

Also you're unfortunately absolutely 100% right on the technological stagnation. We had some geniuses here back in the day compared to where we are now! The word "algorithm" straight up has it's etymology going back to the name of a mathematician named "al-khawarizmi". The word ALGEBRA STRAIGHT UP GOES BACK TO THE NAME OF ONE OF HIS WORKS "Al Jabr".

Which means we are unfortunately also to blame as the root cause of the current garbage state of AI Large Language Models. Apologies.

I truly believe that education is the most important thing if you want to keep progress from stagnating. People here got lazy after the knowledge gap set in place by the divide of the Ottoman Empire, and then even lasier after the wealth gap caused by the discovery of oil & gas

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 hours ago

They've been fighting for literally millenia. You can blame the current situation on whatever you want, but even if no one ever interacted with them, they'd still be fighting.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

I blame Alexander the "Great"

[–] lath 7 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

I blame the separation into Sunni, Shia and the other one that kinda fizzled out.

[–] PugJesus 21 points 9 hours ago

I put the blame on the TRUE culprit.

[–] JeeBaiChow 8 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

So why do internet pundits think the US president can fix it with a wave of his hand?

[–] PugJesus 15 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

Because the positions of internet pundits tend to be either:

"America is Jesus 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏and infinitely powerful"

or

"America is Satan 👿👿👿👿👿and infinitely powerful"

[–] SmackemWittadic 4 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

It may also be related to the fact that additional tension in the middle east was CAUSED by America's "war on terror"

[–] PugJesus 1 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

I mean, yes, but causing something and fixing it are two entirely different powers, neither of which are entirely in the hands of the executive alone.

It's easy to destroy a building; hard to build the same.

[–] SmackemWittadic 3 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago)

That's true, but if you destroy someone's house and then just leave the scene without offering any form of aid in at least attempting to repair it then you shouldn't be surprised when that person sees you as an enemy for life.

We can't expect them to differentiate between the branches of government and say "oh I hate the US army, but I don't hate USAID since they at least try to help".

If the US government can't tell which one deserves the funding, don't expect a homeless orphan being offered what they see as "an opportunity for revenge" to see the difference.

[–] adam_y 6 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

Lol, Americans throwing shade at France in 2025.

Good effort pal.

[–] PugJesus 15 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

Thanks, the Ancient Traditions(tm) keep me going despite the chaos and despair

[–] adam_y 8 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

To be fair, you're not wrong.

It's an international treaty that says if things are going to shit we should comment on the french.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

In case of emergency, ~~invade poland~~ shit-talk the French

[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 hours ago

Ok, this needs to be a T-shirt