Do you know why China today owns the USA? Because they don't think in the present or look towards the next polling figures or even in five or seven year plans they think in decades and centuries and plan accordingly.

That is why I said that the USA and EU as world powers is over, it is finished just like the British Empire and the Ottoman Empire before it look toward the next US election and what do you see?

When Empires reach a state of complacency, arrogance, amoral and injustice they inevitably decline the Greek and Roman Empires are a perfect example and the aid of Israel the West has met all of the criteria.

As for King Hamza, the West believe in Democracy which can be a real bitch sometimes because it has a habit of not voting in those that you like so you want to turn West and emulate them well go and live in England where I was born and please don't include Lebanon we are already quite satisfied with our country thank you, I'm part Lebanese.

It was the USA that encouraged Israel to invade us for no particular reason kill 1,000 Lebanese and destroy Billions of dollars in infrastructure as we were getting over a long and bloody civil war.

Indeed, although I'm just concerned that Lebanon and Turkey are both countries that are basically federalized into two very contrasting peoples (and the circumstances of how these groups both came to be involved aren't so transparent)- beyond that, Middle Eastern countries can vote for whoever they like as far as I'm concerned, so long as the annexed secular parts get a choice in whether or not they are to be dragged in also (much like Kosovo separating from Serbia).

The only problem is the US isn't so tolerant of democracy when it doesn't go their way.

Shadow minister, emulating the uselessness of shadow ministers everywhere, wrote: "They are kidding themselves if they think it is not going to drastically affect their economy."

Of course there are things more important than their economy. Having your neighbours killed, their homelands invaded, their civilization destroyed by their rogue neighbour, Israel, might all seem to be some of them. To reasonable people, anyway.

You know, an interesting thing about discussions about Turkey is that there is probably the broadest range of sides of the coin that people from all persuasions tackle most important to them, and not caring an ounce for others:
-Turkish Secularists/army/Kemalist/authority supporters
-Turkish and wider Islamists pro-Eu entry
-Turkish and wider Islamists wanting Turkey to turn East
-EU interests wanting Turkey in
-EU interests wanting Turkey out.
-Israel/US interests (and those who are FOR and Against).

Not to mention a completely different idea of who are the good-guys, who are the bad-guys, and which groups are of no importance to the author in the aspect of the issue they care about most.

Dear Forkes..(who speaketh with forked tongue ? :)

I note the HUGE pile of prejudice and presupposition which are in the tray of your Anti Israel truck there mate.

"Will transform Israel into a respected and welcome neighbour"

huh? ..... you are kidding... arn't u ?

Israels military disposition is defensive only..and it is a direct result of the incessent wars waged against it.. or even the slightest hint of it ever coming into being... from the Hebron Massacre in 1929 up to all the various wars after statehood.

I fail to see how Israel can be a threat to peace when all it's done is defend itself from invasion by Arabs.

Of COURSE...if you don't believe it should be there in the first place...(perhaps you ?) no matter what it does, it will always be a 'threat to peace'.

You want a 'threat to peace' ? Try this "The last hour will not come unless the Muslim kill the Jews" etc.. *that*...is a threat to peace...and it's found in the Hamas charter but the saying itself comes from Muhammad...wayyyyy back.

5.82. Strongest among men in enmity to the believers wilt thou find the Jews and Pagans;

So...doctrinally.. "Jews" are the enemies of Islam (and thus Muslim Arabs) so... it naturally follows that a 'final solution' is still needed to remove those Jews from the face of the earth....

Don't believe me ? see what this Muslim student says to David Horowitz (a Jew)... to his face...publicly...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fSvyv0urTE

"I note the HUGE pile of prejudice and presupposition which are in the tray of your Anti Israel truck there mate" wrote ALGOREisRICH.

Not prejudice and not presupposition, but considered opinion formed after following reports of Zionist/Israel/Jew behaviour for over 60 years, since they provoked almost all middle east troubles by establishing their little country there, where it was never wanted by the vast majority of the inhabitants of the region.