Who's "we"? The British are responsible for 90% of the fuckups in the Middle East. The Ottoman Empire, for all it's faults, was holding that region together and actually bringing modern education and infrastructure gradually to the people. Dismantling it was one of the all-time greatest fuckups.

Regardless, that was ages ago and the people actually responsible are dead. Most groups in the world (all groups, actually) can claim persecution at some time in their past, without which their lot might be better. But the cultures that actually improve their lot are the ones that recognize the past but don't use it as an excuse to stand still and wait for someone to make things better. East Asia and South America were just as victimized by European colonialism as Africa and the Middle East, but the former two are doing a fuckload better than the latter. Maybe it has something to do with democratization and free market economies and, you know, respecting the rights and abilities of their people to gradually (and with increasing speed these days) pull themselves out of poverty and into first world status?

Anyway, I'm doing pretty well right now. Going to ship out to Basic Training on the 13th of September, which I'm feeling pretty good about. I'm all for killing anyone who uses force and violent to oppress others and take away their rights, whether it's Al Qaeda or Hizbullah or just some assholes in American uniforms in Abu Ghraib.

Y'know, I saw this thing several times in a row over the past week before I remembered you. God, that was a long time ago. I'm feeling increasingly old.

I knew one guy who was heavily into Vampire: The Masquerade LARPs for a while before quitting. He said that they were creepily addictive and the people involved intensely fucked up. On his advice, I've stayed away from them.