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2016-02-07 08:27 pm
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Middle East

I have two very dear friends. Both of them are very honest, brave and passionate people. Both of them are much smarter than I. I love them dearly.
One of them sees the Israel - Palestine problem like this:


And the other one like this:

I always tell them honestly that I have absolutely no idea and cannot take a view on this. They both find it really strange for some reason. But I just do not know enough and I do not think I am smart enough to ever be able to figure out what is really going on there with all that media noise and manipulation from all sides which has been going on for years it seems.
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2016-02-07 05:27 pm
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Greed not bombs

Reading about the looting of archeological sites in Syria in The Atlantic. Below is the satellite view of the Apamea, the city of the Seleucid kings, in 2011 and in 2014. The difference is not bombs, it is greed. Thousands of looting holes dug by hand tools and heavy machinery destroyed the site like chickenpox.

Apparently, everyone is doing it, the government forces, the opposition, ISIS, the Kurds. Greed unites.

A lot of the treasures are destroyed, the rest are sold off into the black market. Where will they end up in ten years? Will we admire them in respectable museums? Shown off to their refined guests by rich art lovers in their respectable mansions?
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