# What are things like (economically) in Iraq these days? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 1, 2005, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-things-like-economically-in-iraq-these-days/333479 "2005-12-01T00:12:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [December 7, 2005, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-things-like-economically-in-iraq-these-days/333479/21 "2005-12-07T20:08:09Z")
> [@](#): > > What the hell is this? In the Americas, you had great mega-states in constant warfare to appease their blood-drinking gods, culminating in the human sacrifice of tens of thouands of prisoners. It got to be large-scale later on, but I was referring primarily to tribalist early conflicts prevelant throught North and South america, which remained the normal pattern in some areas into the 19th century. The Aztecs were definitely present, but they did, of course, fall apart under the weight of Spanish incursions. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-things-like-economically-in-iraq-these-days/333479/22 "2005-12-07T20:49:02Z")
Could we, like, get this thread back to Iraq and its people’s current job prospects, etc.? ---
**Author:** ![Abe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f1d935/32.png) [@Abe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abe)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-things-like-economically-in-iraq-these-days/333479/23 "2005-12-08T09:49:52Z")
I have little to contribute on current economic indicators in Iraq, and in fact I would counsel caution when considering such figures at the moment. We’ve got pessimists commenting one way, some US-linked sources waving flags of exuberance, and more objective reporters and economists stuck in the middle trying to work at the problem. I would, however, like to see **smiling bandit** defend his thesis in a dedicated thread. His focus has moved quite far away from the original claim I questioned, and a lot of the arguments he puts forward seem quite arbitrary on closer analysis. For example, "The Middle East [is] so violence-prone because of the failure of any one power or powers to establish and maintain a long-term dominance, either culturally, politically, or militarily. " That’s only true in terms of **recent** history, roughly since World War I when many Middle Eastern lands came under foreign occupaton and the problems began in earnest. On the subject of war, for example, the contact between Moslems and Christians during the Crusades leave few doubts that Europeans were indeed savage and barbaric (from their abysmal personal hygiene to taking detours on the way to the Holy Land in order to slaughter Jewish communities). > [@smiling bandit](#): > > Compare this to other regions of the world: Europe, despite being organized by and for a warrior elite from the fall of Rome almost to the Industrial revolution, has seena trend towards fewer, better organized, and “politer” (more distinction between civlian and non-civilian, and more rights granted to POW’s and so forth) wars, even during the heyday of the feudal period. Chivalry, though sometimes ignored, was nevertheless a real factor in behavior. And, as I said earlier, such things were institutionalized in the lands of the Islamic empire long before they developed in warlike Europe. Unlike in Europe, Jews were not outcasts, there were strict rules governing warfare and POWs, the rule of law was more or less intact, the killing of innocents or non-combatants was proscribed, etc. I think you are giving too much weight to relatively recent developments in the Middle East, and extrapolating backwards. Sorry for the hijack. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-things-like-economically-in-iraq-these-days/333479/24 "2005-12-08T13:37:59Z")
> [@Abe](#): > > **EvilCaptor** , what on earth are you talking about? Or should I not bother? You shouldn’t bother. Twas a joke, a takeoff on “My post is my cite.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-things-like-economically-in-iraq-these-days/333479.md?page=1)