MEAN or a MIDDLE anything in the
Middle East or
are there just extremes?
Population:
EGYPT 71 M
TURKEY 67 M
IRAN 66 M
SAUDI ARABIA 24 M
IRAQ 23 M
YEMEN 19 M
SYRIA 17 M
ISRAEL 6.6 M
JORDAN 5.8 M
LEBANON 4.3 M
WEST BANK/
GAZA 3.3 M
UNITED ARAB
EMIRATES 3.5 M
OMAN 2.6 M
KUWAIT 2.3 M
BAHRAIN 670,000
QATAR 618,000
OIL RESERVES
(IN BILLIONS OF BARRELS)
SAUDI ARABIA 261.8
IRAQ 112.5
U.A.E. 97.8
KUWAIT 96.5
IRAN 89.7
QATAR 15.2
OMAN 5.5
YEMEN 4
EGYPT 2.9
SYRIA 2.5
TURKEY .3
BAHRAIN .1
ISRAEL 0
JORDAN 0
LEBANON 0
W.B./GAZA 0
ARMED FORCES
(INCLUDING RESERVES)
IRAQ *had 1 MILLION ????
TURKEY 893,000
IRAN 863,000
EGYPT 697,000
SYRIA 675,000
ISRAEL 588,000
SAUDI ARABIA 200,000
JORDAN 135,000
YEMEN 94,000
LEBANON 72,000
UAE 65,000
OMAN 43,000
KUWAIT 15,000
QATAR 12,000
BAHRAIN 11,000
WEST BANK/GAZA 000's?
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
ISRAEL YES
All of the others Nil (as far as we know)
Since the Ottoman Empire was dismantled after WW1 and Israel declared independence in 1948,
292 Million Muslims,
12 Million Christians and
6.6 Million Jews share this little piece of the Earth which just so happens to contain 65% of the known Petroleum reserves. These reserves are estimated to last for another 80 years.
WILL THE MIDDLE EAST STILL EXIST IN 80 YEARS?
Of course it will. There will be these strange topographical features scattered here and there that resemble rather large plates of glass, geiger counters will make really loud noises, and the plumes of thick, black smoke will blot out the sun for years, but yes, the Middle East will still be there. There just won't be anything existing on it. Nothing alive that is. Except roaches. Islamic roaches.
ReplyDeleteIt's sad to say, but I think the PEOPLE living there will turn out to be the most expendable thing.
ReplyDeleteAs is already being proven now, the ones who don't cow-tow to the West will be the first to perish, or at least to be beaten into submission.
As is also being proven, the regions' resources, religion and military might will dictate all.
Yes, the Middle East will still exist in 80 years. But it will be a wasteland of unwantedness, its oil depleted, its people defeated.
I would think everyone would be dead by then.
ReplyDeleteI think a quesion is whether or not Israel will still be there. All those countries with the oil would love to see Israel gone, and as the years go by, the oil they hold will become more and more important. Those countries will become more powerful.
The end of Israel?
The Middle East will still be. And the Far East. And the Near East too.
ReplyDeleteBut the better question is:
East of what?
the Michael,
ReplyDeleteCorrectimundo!The Persian Gulf will fill in the Iran, Iraq and Syrian Depression and join the Mediterranean to the West and the Caspian to the North. This will of course wreak havoc on the indigenous species of those large bodies of water. Especially with all of the radiation.
within,
My word you make it sound so bleak. The crazy rulers who have worked so hard for decades to alienate their countries from the rest of mankind and draw the wrath of the rest of the world shall have their wishes fulfilled and be Nuked back into the stone age. Most of the ordinary citizens (everyday people like you and I) will have fled before the final calamity. Perhaps Mother Nature will shudder after the initial strikes and release earthquakes that will register off of the charts just to make sure that everything settles down for a couple million years.
anonymoustache,
I beg to differ. Even if there is only 12 square miles left of inhabitable land it will be Israeli soil. The millenia of turmoil will see the restoration of the Temple on the Mount. If anything in the future can be classified as a sure thing this is it. Just think about who wants to make that happen.....think BIG...
ladywordsmith,
East of Eden which was in Iraq. The Mess in Mesopotamia is ironically the starting and end point of Civilization.
The four rivers of Eden that are mentioned in the Bible are located in Iraq. I am unsure if there will be any Trees left to be forbidden but stranger things have happened.
Wow! You sure know a lot of facts.
ReplyDeleteThe Middle Beast is a truly frightening thing.
Cherry,
ReplyDeleteIts National Geographic that has lots of facts I can only arrange them so that people will notice why a certain Super Power would be so interested in Saudi Arabia and Iraq... look at those reserves!
and why do these countries always have such huge armies?
The Middle Beast indeed.
my immediate concern is will india exist in the next 50 years?
ReplyDeleteterrorism has been there since 30 years. its spreading like fire with no end at the end of the tunnel.
and just give it a thought what/whose policies made the middle east the middle beast....
BTW,glad to see its not a poetry post. kind of relieved.
maybe you deserve a little hug with my good arm...
i meant no water to douse the fire at the end of the tunnel...
ReplyDeletei think my mind is dislocating like my elbow...
gautami,
ReplyDeleteYou poor thing, I hope that your arm heals quickly. India and Pakistan differ from the Middle East in many ways.
If Hezbollah had nukes in Lebanon then they would have used them. Pakistan and India know that they cancel each others weapons and understand that the cost is too great. So far.
Unfortunately as the majority of humans on the planet are gradually being better educated and developing more tolerance the extremists are dying for attention and getting more devious.
If only we could equalize the information that little children receive and cut off the messages of HATE that groups like Hezbollah heep upon those little developing minds. That is deplorable and those responsible should be exiled in outer space w/o the oxygen that they require to spread hatred.
Enlightening! Thank you HE.
ReplyDeleteI liked that. A wonderfully informative, colourful and educational little post. Isn't Saudi Arabia a big place?
ReplyDelete"If only we could equalize the information that little children receive and cut off the messages of HATE that groups like Hezbollah heep upon those little developing minds."
ReplyDeleteviolence isn't necessarily the brightest response to violence, but it certainly is the first gut response. i do wonder though, how killing ordinary civilians is about keeping the peace. extraordinary violence has become THE WAY these days to teach opponents who is more determined to find peace.
America has shown the world that violence is the true means to the ends that you desire and that diplomacy is for spindley legged wimps. compromise means that you have lost and sharing any kind of economic prosperity, whether it be with your friendly neighbours or your most hated enemy, is a sign of weakness, and strength can only be shown by the willingness to use unlimited power to crush civilian populations in order to gain political advances. the message is clear: terrorism by those with the most and biggest guns is simply fighting and killing to maintain peace. expanding wars in a never ending cycle of violence is a way to keep the violence from spreading.
hizbollah fighters have no right to fire rockets at israelis, nor do israelis have any right to continue the building of settlements on palestinian land, nor choke them out of existence, hamas has no right to fire quasams into israel, just as israel has no right to incarcerate 3 million palestinians, and on and on we go.
i have no idea whether these pictures are accurate or not, but i am quite certain they do not represent the thinking of the majority of israelis.
hate begets hate. violence begets violence.
http://lawrenceofcyberia.blogs.com/news/2006/07/israeli_child_a.html
OK, enough of this Middle East crap. Let's wax poetic about why Russians will always be sheep, which should make sheepherders finally realize that they are not the lesser of cowboys. Goatherders, well, what can I say......Gaia will one day deal with goats. I always wondered, though, why we, the sane portion of the international community, haven't just walled off these sore spots, let them consume themselves, then go back in, say after 50 odd years, and build parking garages for all those cars us peaceful people will produce instead of nukes and other ugly things which don't get people to their jobs or make decent ice cream.
ReplyDeleteyeah!
ReplyDeletewhat he said!!
let's rock!
Having already said my piece, I'm just testing out my latest icon identifying thingy.
ReplyDeleteSo I agree with you all. Even HE, whatever he said.
don,
ReplyDeleteI just think that it so bizarre how divided that part of the world remains when most of us ordinary people are trying to find a better way.
The huge resevoirs of petroleum are obvious objects of interest but the tiniest parcels without any oil are the most troublesome.
benjamin,
I just wanted to get a clearer view of the sitch and compare the different groups of people. Some are huge and rich others huge and poor and vice versa. It really is bewildering.
reyspoutini,
I agree whole heartedly that educating those impressionable little minds is where we have to start. I defer to Plato who said that society would have to eliminate everybody over the age of 11 and let him educate an entire new generation to eradicate all of the prejudicial hatred and misinformation in order to create a Utopia. Well said.
the Michael,
Lets just go ahead and do it. My sociology teacher in college suggested solving the core area problem inmuch the same fashion. Build a huge wall, toss over AK47s and when the shooting stops send in the bulldozers.
The problem is that all of the innocents will be slaughtered so we would have to lure them out somehow.
I am certain that in the future some sort of genetic test for aggressive criminal behavior will be applied and that we will extract all of those affected by this ailment. As for the environmentally influenced sociopaths the chances of having defective parents and guardians would be greatly reduced over a few generations. Hey Big Brother!
within,
Oh no where is your plutonium T34 Earth Modulator? You are quite the chameleon these days...go get anonymous bloggers old Oiler Girl profile photo..that was awesome!
Very interesting facts amigo.
ReplyDeleteAs for the Middle East existing, it'll probably be a nucelar wasteland damn idiots that they all are!
PS~ For anyone having a hard attack at my lack of PC, pfffft! Also, I am half-Iranian so there and yeah, still calll them idiots and had you asked me I would have said forgo Iraq and go straight to the heart of the problem, Iran... I am afraid it is starting to be too late now!
ReplyDelete**Is there a MEAN or a
ReplyDeleteMIDDLE anything in the
Middle East or
are there just extremes
Very smart question! I think it's just 'extremes' n alot of idiots. Why do they waste away like this??
Keshi.
I just know I'm extremely disgusted with the US "policy" in the Mideast. It's like George has wanted to impress Mom and Dad all along with how he could drive his new bike using no hands. But it's Lebanon that ends up crashing.
ReplyDeletemiz bohemia,
ReplyDeleteDon't sugar coat it girl, tell me how you really feel! I don't think that you would have blended in with locals my dear. Just a hunch.
keshi,
It is simply something that we will never fully understand. Especially coming from two young newbie countries like ours. Our countries thrive on fresh starts. That part of the world has had millenia to perfect the grudge.
Darius,
You're preachin' to the choir brother. Dubya sure could use some serious history lessons...what am I sayin'. You people down south are just gonna have to grin and bare it for a while. Unfortunately it is going to get a lot worse before it can get better. Hang on to your butts!
miz bohemia, i actually can't believe you wrote that! i am half-iranian too but i would never wish an innocent persons death - 'cause that's what happens in war - innocent people die. And the people of a country can't be blamed for the actions of their government, ESPECIALLY if it is a dictatorship.
ReplyDeleteI don't just say this cause it's Iran, no innocent people should die anywhere in the world. People should only pay for their own sins,unless they choose to pay for others, thats what i believe.
leila,
ReplyDeleteI cannot speak for the incomparable miz bo but I suspect that she is referring to the crazy people leading the madness who could care less about what happens to the ordinary citizens.
I was watching the news today and
I feel for those terrified little children fleeing their homes because the hezbollah leaders have chosen the human shield approach. What absolute cowardice.
I am stunned that mankind cannot seem to get past all of this bloodlust. I am even more depressed because we have devolved armed conflict in the last 100 years to a point where civilian casualties (collateral damage) is now apparently totally acceptable.
Soldiers use to parade around in bright colored costumes (easy marks for sharpshooters) out on battlefields far from the cities. Now they skirmish and snipe and haphazardly bomb in the middle of the general population. It is incredibly reckless and pathetic.
From blatant genecidal cleansing to random detonations that murder and maim innocent victims our species has kept sliding down this slippery slope towards a collapse of everything decent about us.
This latest upheaval is once again being fought street to street over a patch of rock and sand that would be invisible from space but if there is any intelligent life out there in the universe please make it stop. We don't seem to be able to accomplish it on our own.
** Our countries thrive on fresh starts
ReplyDeletetrue. And the ME is becomin the deserts of stale hatred...how sad!
Keshi.
In short NO, And will the world exist in the next 10 years...now thats a question.
ReplyDeleteYes, and they will still be fighting because some folks think they have a right to live while others don't ... all in the name of thier god. Good post!
ReplyDeletekeshi,
ReplyDeleteThere is something profoundly ecouraging about starting countries with the goal of erasing all of the old school/old world prejudice.
It is damn near impossible but it is worth trying.
ghost particle,
I hope the world is still around. I think that the planet actually has a back up plan to rid herself of us. Afterall, she has dismissed a few others along the way.
I know that we think that we can solve everything but if the planet unleashed its total arsenal we would disappear in the blink of an eye.
Next apex species please step forward!
liquidplastic,
Some peoples kids eh?
It is strange how some humans love to assert their will over others.
It is even stranger that we tolerate this behavior.