I was in a debate of Facebook the other day about the current race war being perpetuated by the current political climate. Several of the commentators stated inane things like, ***White people are the cause of war and have been since the earliest times. It is the Western culture that is behind all the race warfare. White people always think they are superior in their culture. And so on. (***paraphrased to avoid charges of plagiarism.) Because I really do not like the all inclusive “always” when discussing culture and warfare, this is my response to the inability of the commentators for using such a broad brush to paint all white people (whatever that means, as genetically diverse we are despite skin color).
1. People in the Middle East, in fact, all over the world, were killing each other long before the “white race” gained any power anywhere other than their own back yard. It is within the make up of humans to fight over the most, best, pretties, strongest, of everything. In the Middle East, the Moors managed to take over a good part of Europe by warfare. The Arabs were one of the first groups to deal with mathematics, astronomy, science, medicine, and literature. Be that as it may, they fought over that part of the world from day one, and are still doing so, and still behaving like Bedouin tribal warriors. And of course, they are still fighting the Jews who brought the one God into their venue.
However, as with all great cultures, with the rise comes a fall brought about, generally, by man’s greed and unwillingness to cooperate, share, learn new things, and let go of the warrior behavior in favor of other ways of working things out. It isn’t going to happen, it didn’t when the Philistines fought with Judea, it didn’t when the Greeks went to war with Troy, it didn’t work when the Romans ran out of places to conquer. Over time the entire culture of Northern Africa and the Middle East became caught in the quagmire of human inability to hang on to knowledge. So much was lost in the name of war, and that was long before “white people” showed up to meddle.
Of course the infighting, inbreeding, and greed of those in any place of power knew their days on earth were always finite once they made their first enemy. Those that tried to protect knowledge and culture were often seen as the biggest obstacle in the way of those who wanted more power. While their early scholars were once revered and respected, it wasn’t long before they became either slaves to the whims of their rules or owners, or they were forced into fleeing the country. Except, of course, for the scholars who gave in to the greed right along with those in power. As usual, those of a lower class, different religious beliefs, enslaved, and disenfranchised as a people suffered the most. Just as they do today. And as always, since about 2000 years ago, it is the Jews that they want to suffer the most. Well, Jews, and Christians, and anyone who is an American.
2. Greeks, Romans, and all the other cultures around the Mediterranean copied the Arabic people in learning, or were taught it as slaves to the Arabs before bringing it back to their countries. The Greek rise to power, and the fall from the top, was pretty fast. The Romans, however, took warfare to the highest technological level of their time. Other than China, and maybe Japan, they developed warfare into a world domination. But they were felled by the savages from the north, the true “white people” that eventually took over the world. So blame it all on the savage Vikings and the Norsemen, it is all their fault! The loss of Alexander was the last hurray for the Greek push to conquer the world. Then comes the loss of all the knowledge collected in the great library of Alexandria, when Rome took over the world. Of course, to do that, they had to destroy that which did not merge with their idea of culture and polytheism. So they killed the Jews, and then they killed Christians to stop the spread of the one God. But, it didn’t work.
The Romans also spent a lot of time killing each other. Especially the ruling class of people. Again, greed, power, corruption, and a determination to end the life of anyone who was different infected the great armies of Rome. And, like all dictatorships, the most corrupt rose to the top of the scum and killed all that was great about Roman culture, knowledge, and political growth. The were slowly drowned by the quicksand of mediocrity, leaving only the Roman Catholic Church with the opportunity to grab power and then began the Dark Ages and the rule of power through killing knowledge and education.
3. African tribal groups are some of the most warlike groups in the world, (along with many aboriginal groups including American Indian tribes.) We see them as victims today, and some of them are, but back along they were vicious enemies who captured each other to enslave or sell as slaves. Women were treated worse than most cows (sounds kinda like Muslims today, hummm?). Northern Africa is mostly Arabic and Muslim from the beginning of the religion. And in Egypt they were polytheists, and still are within certain factions . Christianity, and Islamic religions and off shoots were equal for a while, but now it is the backward thinking Islamic terrorists who run things. And they are, without a doubt, very warlike. As Islam spread into middle Africa, it became a horror of starvation and warfare. It won’t end any time soon, and it sure didn’t start with “white people” turning up. No more that the Incas and other South American cultures were the victims of the “white people” over the centuries. They murdered each other, long before they were discovered by the outside world.
Today central Africa is filled with third world countries and slipping fast. No matter how much help the gullible “white people” give, or how much we educate the people of Africa, they still behave like tribal warriors. As such, it is clear that the influence “white people” have had on the development of Africa is minimal. They will take the technology, bastardize the religions and political ideas we share, but they still fight like the tribal warriors that they are. Adding the violence of the Jihad Islamic Terrorists to their inclination to kill everyone who isn’t like them, they have become even more fractured as a people. Leaving their young to bear the burden of losing their culture, traditions, and values as they are taught how to be prejudiced, racists, and fanatical killers. The hope for some sort of common compassion and decency is no longer viable in many places in middle Africa.
My point, gentlemen and ladies, is that mankind, humankind, will ALWAYS be at war over something. It is genetic, in our nature, to compete, especially the males, for dominance. It started when we were chest beating cave dwellers. It hasn’t changed much. Our weapons are deadlier, and our reasons are often no reason at all – such as the genocide of young black males via other young black males in places like Chicago and Washington D. C. But the same reason for most war between people still come down to a few simple things. Politics (Ruling Power). Religion (My god is better than your god, even if they are both the one God). Greed (I deserve everything you earned and I am taking it). Land (I need more dirt and your’s looks good). Riches (I want more, more, more and I will do anything to get it, anything). Entitlement (Because I am the greatest and I deserve it). So, all the twaddle about one race being the instigator and perpetual cause of all war is simply unsustainable in the light of history of mankind. I suggest studying history before throwing about the whole issue of race and skin color being the driving factor of any sort of warfare. It is much more than that. To that end, I offer a bibliography for your pursuance at leisure.
The History of the Ancient World: From the Earliest Accounts to the Fall of Rome Susan Wise Bauer
1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed: The Year Civilization Collapsed (Turning Points in Ancient History) Eric H. Cline
The Science of the Dogon: Decoding the African Mystery Tradition Laird Scranton (Author), John Anthony West (Foreword)
Babylon: Mesopotamia and the Birth of Civilization Paul Kriwaczek (Author)
Ancient African Civilizations: Kush and Axum Hardcover – by Stanley Mayer Burstein (Author, Editor)
Europe Between the Oceans: 9000 BC-AD 1000 Paperback – April 26, 2011 by Barry Cunliffe
Lost to the West: The Forgotten Byzantine Empire That Rescued Western Civilization Hardcover by Lars Brownworth (Author)
The Last Days of the Incas Kim MacQuarrie (Author)
Not In The Mood For Small Talk 