I would agree given the ancient conection with Greece and Rome.// Only a Tito could hold that quilt together. It's amazing how long ethnic hatreds survive- even under the surface- for centuries.
On Apr 16, 10:01�am, jgg1000a <[email protected]> wrote: > The other fact so often ignored is that the Ottomans were in fact an > European power (their base for expansion was the Balkans)... �That > expansion destroyed the Serb and Croatian Kingdoms and laid the > foundation of the multi-ethnic tensions there today... > > On Apr 15, 6:14�pm, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > To be honest, I don't know much about those details. A siege failed., > > Gallipoli, etc. My studies were in literature and classics which tends > > to fiction rather than history- though history is the most interesting > > story of all, isn't it? > > > On Apr 15, 4:43 pm, jgg1000a <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > But while Europe's King Kong, much golds and blood was spent on > > > defending Europe against Ottoman aggression... Austria/Hungary, > > > Russia, and Prussia were the beneficiaries of the 200 year Spanish- > > > Ottoman-Iranian-Portugese/Dutch slug fest > > > > On Apr 15, 4:56 pm, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > The silk route changed to sea lanes- which included the Dardanelles/ > > > > Hellespont which was strategic for Russia and Britain along with the > > > > Suez Canal. The oil lines from the Caspian/Caucasus hinges on peaceful > > > > nations as a route to the West. The path to the Mediterranean has > > > > changed a couple of times- have not read about it recently. Think the > > > > Balkans were also involved and, of course, Russia and Iran and > > > > Chechnya. Syria and Turkey to the east. It's a very rich oil basin in > > > > the midst of nightmare regarding extraction and transport safety. It > > > > may ruin the Caspian and caviar- don't know where I picked up that > > > > thought, however.// The West was still bribing Turkey with lavish > > > > gifts until WWI and the Ottoman defeat. Have read Lebanese writing on > > > > the equal cruelty of Britain and Turkey. My grandparents left for > > > > America and I thought I would never venture to Turkey based on their > > > > story but I did and enjoyed my visit to Istanbul with my youngest son > > > > four years ago. An amazing city!//"My Name is Red" is a marvelous > > > > novel about the empire- Pamuk(?)- it was a library book- the structure > > > > was brilliant. Also got halfway through another-"Snow" dealing with > > > > suicides and scarves for the women.// > > > > > On Apr 15, 9:17 am, jgg1000a <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > The Ottoman Empire arose when land trading routes between Asia and > > > > > Europe were KIng... And they, like any rising power took advantage of > > > > > new technologies of the day (the cannon)... Like an Interstate > > > > > Highway bypassing a town, The Ottoman Empire centrality to trade route > > > > > were reduced over time to the backwater (over 200 years)... And of > > > > > course the Industrial Revolution of 1750 was a British notion which > > > > > the Ottomans ignored to their further demise... Yet in 1686 they > > > > > were the dominant East European Power... The Hapsbergs and the Tsars > > > > > learned from their European rivals while Iran was warring with the > > > > > Ottomans and after 1700 the Ottomans went into their long and prolong > > > > > decline... > > > > > > On Apr 14, 11:18 pm, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > For a while the Ottoman Empire managed the Middle East but grew > > > > > > corrupt and was a delicious morsel for Russia, Britain and France to > > > > > > slice up. > > > > > > > On Apr 14, 10:06 pm, plainolamerican <[email protected]> > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > India matters > > > > > > > --- > > > > > > > to who? pirates? > > > > > > > they're as screwed up as the ME > > > > > > > > On Apr 14, 4:56 pm, jgg1000a <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > and will matter more and more to US global interests... If > > > > > > > > Obama was > > > > > > > > the brain many say he is, he SHOULD have understood that... Why > > > > > > > > Obama should memo Obama "Pay attention to India dummy"... > > > > > > > > Piracy is > > > > > > > > located in the Indian Ocean for GOOD reasons... > > > > > > > > >http://www.tampabay.com/news/perspective/article990022.ece > > > > > > > > > >>> Like a microcosm of the world at large, the greater Indian > > > > > > > > >>> Ocean region is developing into an area of both ferociously > > > > > > > > >>> guarded sovereignty and astonishing interdependence. And > > > > > > > > >>> for the first time since the Portuguese onslaught in the > > > > > > > > >>> region in the early 16th century, the West's power there is > > > > > > > > >>> in decline, however subtly and relatively. The Indians and > > > > > > > > >>> the Chinese will enter into a dynamic great-power rivalry > > > > > > > > >>> in these waters, with their shared economic interests as > > > > > > > > >>> major trading partners locking them in an uncomfortable > > > > > > > > >>> embrace. The United States, meanwhile, will serve as a > > > > > > > > >>> stabilizing power in this newly complex area. > > > > > > > > >>> Indispensability, rather than dominance, must be its goal.- > > > > > > > > >>> Hide quoted text - > > > > > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
