Posted on 07/23/2012 8:02:35 PM PDT by mamelukesabre
When I learned world geography, the nation of Syria-Iraq was a single country like Czecho-Slovakia. I think its time to unify Syria-Iraq again.
Yea, yea, it's waaaaay past time to unify Syria-Iraq again, isn't it?
I mean, really, it's time .... because .... well, because the two countries are .... well, they're .... hmmmmmm, exactly why do they need to be unified again .... I seem to have forgotten .... only for the moment of course ... so could you tell everyone why?
This is Biden-think. Biden believes problems can be solved by outside (but not imperialist) forces imposing new boundaries in place of the old boundaries imposed by the imperialists.
Please provide more information, like years this occurred. Yes the areas we know as Syria and Iraq were part of the same empires at one time. Be they the Persian, Roman, Ottoman, etc. But the people of the two countries are not the same people. Just in the same way Czechs, Slovaks, Croats, and Austrians, to name a few, all resided within the Austro-Hungarian Empire at one time. They were not all same people because of this.
Do you mean Nasser’s United Arab Republic? Because that was Egypt and Syria.
Jordan and Iraq were briefly united, before Iraq’s Pro-British monarchy was deposed.
It’s all the England’s fault. They basically broke it up along British rail lines after WW1. Bleeping morons.
and by adding Jordan, Lebanon, Iran, Egypt, Libya, Tunis, etc etc you can unify into the Khalifate.. this seems to be the Obama's master plan.
I mean the maps I used as a kid had the area labeled as “Syria-Iraq”. I can’t get any plainer than that.
Why was Czecho-slovakia unified?
Are you referring to the Ottoman Empire?
I guess you are having fun, because I cannot find any basis for what you are saying. Baghdad and Damascus have for centuries been independent cultural centers. In Biblical times the Syrians ruled from Damascus, while Babylonians and Assyrians ruled from what is now Iraq. In Islamic history, the Umayyad Caliphs made Damascus their capital, whereas the Abbasid Caliphs made Baghdad their capital. Even as far back as the Ottoman Empire, Iraq and Syria were not merged. After WWI, the British were given Iraq and the French were given Syria. Iraq was given independence in 1932, Syria gained independence in 1936. At no time since have they been joined politically, as far as I can tell. Now, Lebanon and Syria have at times been merged and separated, but that is another matter. If you can show me where I am incorrect, please do so, as I am happy to learn more, but I cannot find any basis for a map in your lifetime showing Syria-Iraq as though it were one country.
Come on man, ease up on me. I just admitted that I couldn't remember why it was time to unify Syria-Iraq again, and now you want me to explain why Czecho-slovakia was unified?
I'm an ooold FReeper, but, okay, okay, I'll try .... they were unified because .... because .... well, because the two countries were .... well, they were .... hmmmmmm, exactly why were they unified again .... I seem to have forgotten .... only for the moment of course ... so could you tell everyone why?
Very simple really. During the Balance of Power period of European history, overly small countries generally got gobbled up by larger neighbors.
In the settlement of the Napoleonic Wars what is now Belgium was combined with Netherlands and Norway with Sweden to make more powerful nations that might resist aggression by the French or Russians.
After WWI the same was done when they broke up the Austro-Hunagrian Empire. The various "south Slav" ethnies were combined to form Yugoslavia, and the "north Slav" equivalent was formed by the Czechs and Slovaks.
None of these shotgun weddings worked out all that well.
Thanks for the response SL.
My postings to mls were just me pulling his leg to see if he would expand on his initial statement of the thread, and provide an explanation of why HE thought "it was time to unify Syria-Iraq again".
I guess he couldn't feel the tug on his leg, or chose to ignore it.
Both of you have a good week.
The reason I think its time to unify is because of all the nonsense going on in syria now. I sorta thought that was obvious. With Syria and Iraq unified, there won’t be any Iranian, russian, or muslim brotherhood influence allowed.
To be fair, I was kindof pulling your leg, too. Taking an obvious joke as if it were a sincere request for information.
This slicing and dicing of Europe in the 19th century didn’t work a whole lot better than the amalgamation of the 20th appears to be turning out.
It seems that “peoples” with different histories and cultures may indeed get along best when they maintain some separation from each other.
History? What history? No one has any history anymore. Its all McDonnalds, Coca cola, blue jeans, and iPhones everywhere you go.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.