[saradippity]

CG,I don't know if you are Jewish or not. But if I were Jewish and looked at that history you presented:The Jews were kicked out of country after country,exploited,forced to leave without property,forbidden to own land or be in guilds in parts of Europe,and in the case of the Crusades,forced to convert or die,then becoming the focus of rage when their conversions were deemed phony (and you'd think the sword would convince them that Christianity was the best religion.) It was all so twisted and shameful.I would want to look carefully at what part they (Jews)may have played in what appears to be a longstanding and universal experience.

You state in your first sentence that that Cicero's version was rare because it was nonsense. To cavalierly dismiss something that may contain some truths could make it much more likely that the same type of pain,thievery,ill treatment and worse will occur again.

[Cinnamon Girl]

Do you also believe, as some people do, that the Jews in Germany brought the nazi anger upon themselves because they were "hording all the money"? Do you also believe that there is a "Jewish lobby" or "neo-cons" who are controlling the U.S. government and forced us into the Iraq war? Do you also believe that the U.S. needs to look into a mirror and figure out how we caused 9/11? Is murder somehow always partly the victims' fault? Or is it the case sometimes in history that evil acts occur because of evil people or an evil movement, and the victims are innocent?