[El Blanco]

It was a shithole when European Imperialism hit it. Even after that, it had a few good stretches.

What I never understood is why some intellectuals keep saying how since the Middle East has not had any real history in democracy, it can't be acheived, yet they keep drolling on about how we have to intervene and bring democracy to the old soviet republics.

You want to talk about a shithole, look at what some of those people have been through.