Israel v. Arab. Sunni v. Shiite. Hatfield v. McCoy.

[johnaries]

As "Westerners", it's difficult for most of us to understand the long-standing enmity between various "factions" in the Middle East. We tend to think "so what if his Grandfather screwed over my Grandfather - he hasn't done anything bad to me, personally".

I'll let other philosophers debate which is the "better" attitude.

But people in the Middle East don't have the same attitudes we do. It's not so easy for them to forget "previous transgressions". I can understand that mindset - "don't trust them, their family screwed us in the past, and the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

It's easy for us to sit back and be objective from a distance. It's a whole different story if you were raised in the middle of it.

Consider the American story of the Hatfield's and the McCoys:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatfield-McCoy_feud

As legends go, the first recorded instance of violence in the feud occurred after an 1878 dispute about the ownership of a hog: Floyd Hatfield had it, and Randolph McCoy said it was his. But in truth, the dispute was over land or property lines and the ownership of that land. The pig was only in the fight because one family believed that since the pig was on their land, that meant it was theirs; the other side objected. The matter was taken to court, and the McCoys lost because of the testimony of Bill Staton, a relative of both families. In June 1880, Staton was killed by two McCoy brothers, Sam and Paris, who were later acquitted on the grounds of self-defense.

It started over a pig. A stupid, fucking pig. Except it wasn't about the pig, the pig was only an excuse. Sound familiar?

The feud burst into full fury in 1882, when Ellison Hatfield, brother of "Devil Anse" Hatfield, was brutally murdered by three of Roseanna McCoy's brothers, stabbed 26 times and finished off with a shot. The brothers were themselves murdered in turn as the vendetta escalated.

Between 1880 and 1891, the feud claimed more than a dozen members of the two families, becoming headline news around the country and compelling the governors of both Kentucky and West Virginia to call up the National Guard to restore order after the disappearance of dozens of bounty hunters sent to calm the bloodlust. The Hatfields claimed more lives than the McCoys did by the time order had been restored.

:wtf: All this over a fucking pig? Well, yes, I left out a whole section about 2 "star-crossed lovers", but I refuse to "romanticize" this travesty.

In a nutshell, that's what I see in the Middle East. Families that refuse to let go of perceived insults and travesties committed against their family, and who will not rest until they gain "satisfaction".

I'm not trying to condemn or condone - I'm just trying help explain a very complicated situation in terms that may help us understand the situation. There is no easy solution. We are dealing with long familial memories and vendettas. If we want Peace in the Middle East, we need to understand why Peace has been so difficult.

Maybe,then, we can find some solutions.

[iamahaingttta]

1. Isaac vs Ishmael

That's the gist of the Middle East conflict.

Fights between brothers are always nasty. This one is not going to end well. Only one brother will survive...

[Kingshakabobo]

2. One brother will survive?

You are way more optimistic than me.............

[johnaries]

3. The names have been changed to protect the guilty..

but you are right. This is a "blood feud".

The names may change, the "pig" may change, but a blood feud is a blood feud and must be recognized as such before any permanent change is possible.

That doesn't mean permanent change isn't possible, it just means you need to understand the root of the problem before you can affect a lasting solution.

EDIT: Ah kant spel. Ah'm frum Nashville.