News- no, it's propoganda

[innerSpaceman]

granted, mousepod. But perhaps the conflict is usually put in those terms, because - unlike with the Russians or the French - - the Arabs have been fighting the Jews for century upon century.

In fact, while the conflict in the middle east used to be quite sectarian and nationalist, things have shifted quite a bit since the death of Yassar Arafat and the demise of nationalist organizations like the PLO.

Hamas and Hizzballah, on the other hand, are quite Islamist - - as are their patrons, Syria and Iran. It represents quite an ominous twist, I fear.

And I daresay the enemy is thought of as "jews" ... as everything is conceived of in religious terms ... and we plunge barbarically backward in time, holy frelling DoubleYou Tea Aich