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Your question states that the two halves of the empire found themselves in similar positions, and yet one fell while the other persevered, and tries to find a reason why. The point I was trying to make was that there isn't always a good clear-cut reason, "time and chance happeneth to them all" as the quote says (I remembered it randomly when I was reading your post and then you mentioned Christianity). Why was the British revolution peaceful while the French was bloody? Why did America rebel while Canada remained content? Why did the tech industry develop in Silicon Valley rather than anywhere else? The course of history can be changed by a single decision, by the courage or cowardliness of a single front line soldier, by the sour mood on a certain day of a certain politician, by someone getting sick and missing an important meeting, etc. It's not a very satisfying answer, but it is a fallacy to assume that every historical event can be understood as the direct and reasonable result of measurable factors like population, economic performance, quality/quantity of military armaments, etc. Dozens (or perhaps hundreds) of books have been written on the fall of the Western Roman Empire analyzing the various factors and causes. It is, after all, one of the most pivotal events in the history of human civilization, probably along with the Bronze Age collapse, the Mongol Invasions, the discovery of the New World, and WWII. The more of them you read, the more you will understand that there is no agreement on a single factor or group of factors.

The Arabs are also free to discuss terms. But coming to terms with the Israelis isn't Islam's goal.

So they both soiled their panties. Well look at it this way, whether you like it or not, Doug can aim better. There I trust that analogy helps.

Canada to Russia: "We will trade you 10 Russian diplomats for 5 ISIS terrorists."

I don't like reading some posts, let alone having to touch them....

The comparison is straightforward.....economic gain through public means...at both ends of the spectrum. Why should one good fortune be publicized but not the other circumstance if faith in the government & fairness is the concern ? The same way we 'trust' that welfare programs are not fraudulent. Why does one represent exploitation but not the other ?

"I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all." - Christian Bible (Ecclesiastes 9:11)

You're free to pretend someone other than the Arabs started the Arab-Israeli Conflict.

Here is another example of the apartheid state, where there is one rule for the chosen ones, and one rule for the occupied ones. Israeli killer gets community service– and Ahed Tamimi gets 8 months for slapping There is nothing just or moral about supremacism or a supremacist state. Not only are Jewish supremacists (Zionists) hateful and immoral people but – like all supremacists – they are hypocrites for advocating and defending their preferred brand of evil while condemning similar evil committed against members of their collective.

Yes...and no. I rejected both major party candidates as unsuitable and voted for a third party candidate instead, just as I have done several times in the past (John Anderson, Ross Perot, and no vote cast for president). My fiscal reservations about Trump have been realized with the latest U.S. federal budget, but he is nevertheless the 45th president of the United States with other policies that I do "support" (e.g. illegal immigration).

1000 street gang members in prison, 600 native crime gang members and 400 bikers. Gee, I wonder what 2,000 bullets cost...

You're wrong. All of that makes him a foreigner! He may be born here (I don't know).....but he claims he is born in India (by calling India his homeland). Homeland is defined as the country you were born in. To reject Canada as his homeland (if he's born here)....what more can we say about that? Here are the definitions by Merriam. Foreigner: a person belonging to or owing allegiance to a foreign country chiefly dialectal : one not native to a place or community it He claims India to be his homeland. Therefore....he is a foreigner.

Voting requires a level of life experience and maturity that teenagers have not had the opportunity to acquire. I'm not certain people under 25 have either. Once you grant the vote, it is very difficult to go back if it is a mistake.

Agreed....history decides whether U.S. presidents are "good" or "bad", not bigoted foreign nationals.

Would you rather be an Arab in an Israeli jail, or a Jew in a Lebanese or Palestinian jail?

She'll probably be out in a couple of months. She is no innocent but a regular activist. Now would you like to compare Israel's justice system to that of the Palestinian Territories? Or perhaps Syria? Egypt? Iran? Saudi Arabia? Lebanon?

I imagine for the same reasons Muslims like to distinguish between Sunni, Shia, ISIS, Al Quaeda, etc. They all claim to be following Allah.

The majority of the residential schools were run by the Catholic Church, with a few run by other Christian denominations. But why does it matter which particular Christian sect imposed horrors on the people in their care? They all claimed to be following the God of the Bible.

I'm deciding whether to continue this messy metaphor. Doug sprays all over the place, where Kathleen has a focused stream. She is dirtier, and yet he has the propensity to be dirtier.