A White Paper on Iran: "The ancient Greek name for Iran was Persis, which was usually spoken with fear-for good reason. At the beginning of the Fifth CenturyBC, the Persian Empire under Darius the Great was the most threatning force on Earth and was poised to conquer the democratic city states of Greece and, perhaps, the embryonic Roman republic beyond. Bukt for a series of unfortunate events (for the Persians) modern study of the classics would be concentrated on Persian language, history and literature, rather than upon Greek and Latin"

I highly recommend this forty page survey of ancient and modern empires. A brief sketch of pre-christian empires is offered follolwed by a parade of empires that followed into the modern era. The history of Persia, the split between Sunni and Shia is given clear exposition. The East/West contest for central asia, the ways that oil started to be the main prize that empires sought to possess, and the resulting wars that came about and that are still raging today, are sketched in with great clarity. This is an essential read for anyone wishing to improve their understanding of how human civilization came to it's present precarious balance between Scylla and Charibdis, or a rock and a hard place, in good old red neck parlance. Give it a read. You'll be glad you did. Hi Octane Oakie

posted by wade sears @ 7:21 AM