Why the middle east was NOT won.

There was a conversation that I had last night with some very smart people about the middle east, and the reason of all the problems that region of the world faces. There were many ideas that came up, but one thing stuck in my head, I'm not sure how to label it, or what technical terms would describe it most appropriately. So, I'm just going to go ahead and add my own personal two-cents.

• The main problem in the middle east is the lack of education. people aren't educated, they lack the sophistication to make informed decisions, independent of the government, or religious figures.
  
• People are bred with a sense of pride for their country, it is a form of nationalism, where people grow up learning the history of their country. start off with how great your country is (historically), you then learn that your country (much like most of the world) was either conquered by the French and/or the Brits. These French/Brits left the country after some liberation groups were able to get them out of the country. You then are proud of your country for its heroism and its ability to "defeat the hated enemy." History then gives you a lesson of post WWII middle east, a world with a country named Israel, "they" took over your land, they fought four wars with your country, or your neighbors, and they are constantly the aggressors. Couple that with the news media that constantly portrays Israel in a bad light, what with news coverage ranging from the deaths of innocent children and Israeli aggression on small villages to US aid that supports the Israeli armies. It is no wonder that the people in the middle east are so closed minded, they refuse to see the other side, and they refuse to acknowledge the mistakes that their side has made over the years. It is a mentality of "I am right, and you are wrong, and anything you say will be ignored because I don't agree with it." It is that mentality that keeps the peace from progressing forward.

I am tired of all the bullshit. I am tired of living in a world where people don't think rationally. I am tired of countries that don't educate the masses and provide them with critical thinking skills that can help them in the real world.