# The Middle East is going to explode **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 28, 2002, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-middle-east-is-going-to-explode/100494 "2002-03-28T02:28:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-middle-east-is-going-to-explode/100494/41 "2002-03-31T00:32:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Stoid \* > \*\* > > I can’t imagine that was ever supposed to be taken literally. otherwise we’d have to invade Belfast. > > stoid \*\* Bush said “any **nation** that continues to harbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime.” Exactly what state are you referring to, Stoid? ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-middle-east-is-going-to-explode/100494/42 "2002-03-31T00:51:43Z")
I was just responding to Sam’s words. And by the way, Sam, without going back and rereading line by line again, I’ll have to go with the folks who think you were being more than a little touchy with the C-man. He didn’t attack you personally. [hijacky] There certainly does seem to be a tendency among on the right-leaning Dopers to take any negativity towards “the Right”, if it is not narrowly and specifically identified as being directed at Joe Right and Bill Righter, as a slam against them personally. Dunno why this is. If anyone else shares my opinion of this, perhaps you have a theory about it you could share? (Cuz, no, before you ask, I do not observe this same tendency in the Left.) And yes, I know that many will NOT share my opinion about this. But I thought I’d stick my neck out and take this opportunity to share anyway. stoid ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-middle-east-is-going-to-explode/100494/43 "2002-03-31T01:42:02Z")
Stoid, you’ve really got to stop reading those communist comic books of yours. They’ve led you to make so many wrong statements that it’s impossible to count them all. Yeah, you’re right - I can’t see any personal attacks in that statement at all. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-middle-east-is-going-to-explode/100494/44 "2002-03-31T01:47:00Z")
Oh, and by the way, if it had been an isolated comment Collounsbury made, I’d let it go. Taken by itself, it’s no big deal. But frankly, everything the guy writes these days just drips with this stuff. Enough so that he made CK Dexter Haven of all people blow a gasket over it. Collounsbury is incapable of having a discussion without trying to belittle people and flaunt his natural superiority over them. It’s a tiresome attitude, and it has caused more than one civil discussion on these boards to ignite. Like I said, I’ve got no problem with the substance of his messages - they are well thought out and generally represent an intelligent and welcome viewpoint. But his gotta drop the snotty, “stop reading your comic books” air of superiority. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-middle-east-is-going-to-explode/100494/45 "2002-03-31T04:14:07Z")
Aw, can’t you guys just take it to the Pit? _sigh_ ---
**Author:** ![capacitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@capacitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capacitor)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-middle-east-is-going-to-explode/100494/46 "2002-03-31T07:18:12Z")
I think the right-wingers want to escalate the war in the Middle East, then try to blame Clinton and liberals for its eventual failure. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2002, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-middle-east-is-going-to-explode/100494/47 "2002-04-01T10:24:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Doghouse Reilly \* > \*\*Bush said “any **nation** that continues to harbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime.” Exactly what state are you referring to, Stoid? \*\* [The British state](http://www.serve.com/pfc/fru/fru12022k1d.html), maybe. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2002, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-middle-east-is-going-to-explode/100494/48 "2002-04-01T16:19:17Z")
Of course, we’d need an actual incident to get involved. Despite what _some_ of you might think, I suspect Bush simply doesn’t give a flip about Israel and Palestine. They’re a bunch of whining little toads, and Arafat in particular ought to be smacked around the head a few times. Clinton bent over backward half a dozen times for a hal-dozen meetings and got nowhere in the end. I suppose this is simply because the Jews won’t give up their conquered land (which is more or less their right) and the Palestinians won’t stop fighting for it (likewise above).) ``` We, politically, anyway, can't get invloved fighting those who haven't started a fight with us. Such is reality. ``` ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2002, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-middle-east-is-going-to-explode/100494/49 "2002-04-01T17:55:47Z")
smiling bandit: Umm, wrong. Israel offered to give up almost ALL of the occupied land at Camp David. Erek [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-middle-east-is-going-to-explode/100494.md?page=2)