The Middle East Buddy List

[Taxloss]

This Slate article:

http://www.slate.com/id/2146230/nav/tap1/

... has a very useful interactive graphic attached. Click on the drawing to get a chart of Who hates Who. Why can't we all just get along ...

[Poll_Blind]

1. Useful diagram. n/t

PB

[Skinner]

2. Thanks for the link.

I think it will be helpful for those of us who are looking for some light rather than heat.

[Up2Late]

3. Very cool chart, good thing there's not row for the U.S., it would all...

...be red or yellow, I think.

[katamaran]

4. Interesting...very interesting...

I found the bit about Lebanon and Syria hating each other the most interesting, being that everyone keeps saying that Syria will come to Lebanon's defense. I think that's more about keeping Israel off their turf than anything else.

They should all just get MySpace accounts and see who has the most friends.

[bloom]

11. It looks like the PLO

is winning. They have 3 "friends".


Too bad they didn't have a full chart that shows who all the USA is NOT friends with. The US may not be enemies with Lebanon - but we might as well be for all the good we're doing. And then there is Iraq - friends, complicated or enemies - or all 3. Just by things like that situation - you can see the fallibility of a chart like that.


And then the Slate thing sounded biased by acting like Hamas started the whole thing - with their written description. As if it's that simple.

[ConservativeDemocrat]

18. Syria will "defend" Lebanon, in the same way

...that the U.S. has "defended" Iraq.

That is, to say, that they would be gladly welcomed by about 1/3 of the population. (For the U.S. - it's the Kurds in the north, for Lebanon it's the Hezboallah Shi'ia in the South.) They'll be ruthless enemies of about another 1/3. (For the U.S. in Iraq it's the Bathist Sunnis, for Syria it would be the Maronite Christians.) And for the last third, it would be neutral to hostile - depending on whether they can get them to do their dirty work or not. (For the U.S. these are the Iraqi Shi'ia, for Syria these would be the Sunnis.)

Cleared that up for you?

- C.D. Proud Member of the Reality Based Community

[karlrschneider]

5. Interesting. Another way to look at it

State/Org Friends Enemies Complicated/wtf?

Israel 2 8 2
Lebanon 5 3 4
Hamas 6 3 3
Hezbollah 4 5 3

hmm

[SammyBlue]

6. I don't understand your point, Karl.

Could you clarify.

[karlrschneider]

12. No real point, just a tabular rendition of the numbers.

I don't claim it has any significance distinct from the interactive chart. A kind of summary.
;-)

[SammyBlue]

13. Okay. . .I just didn't understand the implications. Thanks.

[sweetheart]

17. The frame of the chart is to sink israel

The inclusion of hamas and hesbuzllah and not all the other parties and states just
gives it a slant, and the chart hs a big red cross that lies on top of israel like
a crosshair, framed so well by media misinformation.

SO the MSM is antiisrael protestant manipulators AKA british imperials, framing what
they can't say on the new to-be-distant ally.

[april]

7. chart ..thank u this helps

[newyawker99]

16. Hi april!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

8. Pretty well sums it up, in a superficial sort of way.

The complexities of the whole M.E., the alliances, politics, religions, classes, are far beyond a chart. Kind of like the Red/Blue charts describing the politics and/or politicians of the United States.

[Karenina]

9. ROFLMAO!!!!

That was superficial, a bit glib but mostly spot-on and hysterical!!!
:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

Forgive me for laughing!
:cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry:

[TygrBright]

10. WTF?!? The EU and Israel are "Friends?!?"

What are those guys at Slate smoking? I want some!

amazedly,
Bright

[muriel_volestrangler]

14. Sure; they have agreements and partnerships

http://www.eu-del.org.il/english/content/eu_and_country/1.asp

Israel and the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership

Israel fully participates in the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, both in its bilateral and its regional dimension. The Association Agreement between Israel and the European Union was signed in 1995 and is in force since June 2000. Within its framework, senior officials from Israel and the EU meet regularly and an Association Council takes place once a year in order to discuss political, economic, and cultural cooperation.

Due to Israel's advanced economic development, there is no need for a bilateral aid programme for structural adjustment. Israel is eligible, however, to those funds under MEDA which are used for regional cooperation (around 14 % of the whole MEDA budget, technical assistance included). Within the different regional programmes, numerous projects with Israeli participation have been funded – among them youth projects, audiovisual and cultural heritage projects, economic and industrial networks and projects on information society and the environment. Moreover, Israel will indirectly benefit from the economic development of her neighbours in the years to come.

http://www.eu-del.org.il/english/content/eu_and_country/2.asp

And Israel takes part in some European cultural activities (eg the Eurovision Song Contest, European fotoball competitions) because it's neighbours won't play with it.

[CuteNFuzzy]

15. "Israel responded by carrying out airstrikes"

Very nicely worded. No mention of the hundreds of murdered civilians.

Got to love MSNBC

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

19. Reminds me of Rory Bremner's "Iraqi Democracy" song

All the Sunnis hate the Shias
And the Shias hate the Sunnis
And the Muslims hate the Christians
It’s enough to make a general cry
But it’s Iraqi Democracy
Something you’ve got to see
Hundreds of hostile groups
Will live in perfect harmony, now
Saddam Hussein has gone, it’s
Rule from the Pentagon
It’s Iraqi as Big Mac and Apple Pie

All the Shi-ites hate the Baathists
And the Saddammists hate the Royalists
There’s no room for the loyalists
Or anybody from Iran
‘Cause it’s Iraqi Democracy
Land of the young and free
Choose any candidate
Whose name is Ahmed Chalabi
The least that you can do
Is vote how we want you to
We made you free, now don’t upset the plan.

All the Sadrists hate the Sistanists
And the Daawaists hate the Sciri-ists
The Americans hate the Islamists
And everybody hates the Kurds
‘Cause it’s Iraqi Democracy
A new theocracy
Instead of shouting “USA!”
They go to mosque five times a day
Hey! That doesn’t fit the plan
It’s like the Taliban!
Look out cos when the Mullahs cry "Jihad!"

We might prefer the government they had!