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Originally Posted by Big Dave  American corporations?
The likes of Shell, who drill for and refine crude oil in the Middle East?
Halliburton, maybe?
Look at countries like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar. The UAE, and Dubai in particular, is certainly one of the more liberal countries in the Middle East, and it's also the country with one of the fastest economic growths in the Middle East. That happens for a reason, and it's due to it's association with the Western world.
It's the silly Islamic fundamentalists who are keeping the Middle East held back in the dark ages. The countries which chose to cooperate with the West, and take advantage of the huge amount of money they have tied up in their oil deposits are the ones who are succeeding the most. Investment in the West has brought exponentially-expanding prosperity to places like Dubai.
Placing the blame on American corporations operating in the Middle East is completely assinine.  |
I never said whether or not it was justified. My point was, assinine or not, it is what I have heard said. Ignoring it is not the way to peace. Understanding it and compromising is how we learn to live within the bounds of mutual respect.
You see the middle east as being "in the dark ages", they don't. What they see is distruction to their values and influence in their governments by outside nations in order to profit a few while the average person toils in sweat and pain. And, anyway, who are we (you or I) to tell anyone which is best for them like a "one size fits all" approach? That, to me sounds contrary to conservative values.