CheScott
Prince
1. I'll admit yeah, their influence is pretty much entirely religious.
2. Yeah, America does fund Israel and yes they do kill off Muslims... but I'm not just about to label one side as evil and one side as good. The palestinians are almost inhumanly evil. I'm sorry but you can't strap bombs onto women, children, and the mentally challenged and go "Oh well we are fighting evil!"
This is less Nazis vs Innocents and more organized Nazi vs unorganized Nazi, not literally of course but I mean Nazi as in what most people think of when they think Nazi. ...That probably doesn't make much sense. If it doesn't, please say so and I'll drum up a better analogy.
But again, even if you think Israel is some evil nation, are you going to say they're worse than Mao or Stalin?
If they aren't, then why should evil deeds keep them from being in Civ alongside both of those leaders?
Well, I think the best analogy is the Stanford Prisoner study. Now, don't get me wrong, there are some valid arguments regarding flaws in the study, but I think the basic principle holds true.
It was a study of how roles effect personalities, how much they adapt 'who they are' to fit 'what they believe they represent'. In the study a group of psychologically screened voulenteered students were seperated into two groups. One group served as the 'Garuds' while the other were 'Prisoners', totally arbitrarily. Within two weeks the conditions had degressed to such abuses of power the study had to be canceled, which was originally slated for like two months or something.
The Palestinians are very much prisoners on their land. Now, this certainly does not excuse their behavior but it does give one a certain insight into their general psychology. I do not think the Israeli's any more 'evil', however I do understand both sides of the coin, when very commonly, people within our society only seem to have an understanding of Israel's paranoia, given the history of terrorism that's been knocking on their door for a good long time.
My argument is not that they should not be allowed, because of War Crimes. Rather that they do not warrant the historical significance to expect any special attention. I don't object to them being a civilization, but I don't see it as anymore important than including Tibet as a civilization.
It's very much the same thing. Loads of religious significance, but fairly sparse historical significance.
*just waiting for someone to give him a lecture on Tibetan history*