Quote:
Originally Posted by CliffFletcher
If 10-20 small states had sprung up in the region in the wake of the Ottoman collapse, I find it hard to imagine there would have been less war and conflict. And the 'blame colonialism' narrative overlooks the fact that the most vicious and enduring conflict in the region is the Sunni vs Shia schism. Even the most ardent Chomskyite can't lay that fanatical bloodletting at the feet of the West.
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That's every bit as simplistic an explanation/statement as one based entirely in colonialism. It's a whole host of factors that has led the ME to where it is today, but your decision to name that "schism" as primary is pretty indicative of the narrative you're pushing.