[familyop]

You were right, and your comment #12 is very accurate.

I was also way off on time references in my previous comment (should have started with pre-Neo-Assyrian Israel) and muddled a point that I was trying to make. ...weak point anyway, because the best tribes of the past fell apart very quickly by experimenting with idolatry. Maybe, even with contemporary nations, morality as first given to the people of Israel has something to do with relatively successful government.

"calm down and eat your sandwiches"

Good advice. I should have followed it. The PLA (China) should have followed it, too, instead of getting involved in Africa.

[BBell]

I clearly remember the Arab north was doing what Islamic Arabs do. They were practicing genocide and ethic cleansing of the south and moving Arabs down to replace the locals who had inhabited the area for eons. They were also kidnapping women and girls for sex slaves and wives as well as enslaving the men and boys. Typical behavior. I will say the South put up quite a fight and it did ultimately lead to the partitioning of the country.

The Europeans really did a number in Africa and the middle east when they drew artificial lines for borders without any thought to the historic boundaries of the local tribes. This is what lead to the genocide in Rwanda. They split up the Tutu nation. Kind of like they split up the Kurds.