[AFPhys]

A long article... a very good article... I wish I knew as much about the history as you both do ... I'll let you hash it out, but my initial read of all your comments and Goldberg's is that he has a good handle on this.

[Burkeman1]

Yes- Goldberg has a good handle. Comparing a mountain land that has been at the by ways of western thought for 1500 years to a flat land in the middle of the Mid East that has had extremely limited exposure to western thought. Not only that but is in the gripe of a religion that hates western culture and is still tribal and prone to religious wars that would rival the 1600's in Germany. Yeah - Goldberg has a good handle.