What is going on with the Middle East from Michael's perspective

July 29, 2006

Of course the situation in the region has been compounded of many centuries of various sorts of disputes, some of which are ethnic, some of which are territorial, some of which are based on blood alliances, and some of which are the result of happenstance. Because there is this long history of non-agreement and distrust, any occasion for "taking offense" tends to be seized upon as a cultural imperative for maintaining the "honor" of whichever group appears to be compromised by the current balance of power. This is particularly the case in Afghanistan and along the old "Persian" borders where ethnic irritability has flared for 3000 years.

Unfortunately due to the commercial and military adventurism imposed on the regions in the last two centuries the current impasse is what we might call the "last gasp" of financial colonialism, and therefore intrudes upon the expectations of those within the region seeking to move beyond dependence upon external "money" and advantage. This is somewhat complicated by retrogressive religious practices that tend to hold many of the parties to perceptions standards and expectations that are in fact no longer applicable or no longer applicable as perceived. Even the most "liberal" of the regional leaders is up against this particular knotty problem [The channeler got the impression this was a reference to the Gordian knot, so probably means a ha ha ha here), in that no one solution and no one approach can deal with all the various factors brought to bear on these issues in a manner even moderately satisfactory.

Much of the difficulties encountered heretofore are associated with the complexities that arise from these multi-layered disputes and of course the intrusion of those with whom they disagree and whose cosmology is at odds with their own diminishes the chance of negotiating any kind of enduring "tranquility" particularly since most of the ethnic groups involved only recognize tranquility in the face of the subjugation of the enemy or the perceived subjugation of the enemy.

The fractilic patterns have been artificially sustained in this region for well over a millennium and as such much of the energy of this society during times of stress reverts to the expectations that the old ways will vindicate their claims. These beliefs are endorsed by even the most liberal and forward thinking politicians and therefore establishing a starting point for amelioration is constantly viewed with skepticism at best and derision at worst.