[uncertaindrumer]

Quote: (Originally Posted by RalphyS)

I never stated anywhere that it is wrong to not enter a war. Chase has a habit of comparing the offensive war in Iraq with his version of the 2 World Wars, where the USA came to the rescue of the Allied Nations 'out of the goodness of their heart' without any need to do so.

Well. Yeah. Chase has a habit of stretching things to defend the war on Iraq, but you can't blame him. You kinda have to stretch things to defend this war, heh.

Quote:

And although history is usually rewritten by the winners of the latest war, I once again couldn't let it slip by. Ofcourse I cannot deny that we owe a gratitude of debt to the USA for their part in the eventual victory in WWII, as we also do to England and Canada.

Come on, don't make yourself look stupid by pretending Canada was responsible for WWII victory. Say what you will about the U.S. but we won that war. Sure others--especially Britain--helped, but without the U.S., not a chance.

Quote:

To describe the crusader's position as a defensive one is also an own interpretation of history.

Umm... how? It was Christian, the Muslims invaded and conquered... taking it back (or attempting to) is a responsive, defensive action.

Quote:

At one time the first Christians came to Jerusalem and it wasn't a Christian nation so it had to be conquered.

Show me where the Cristians militarily conquered Jerusalem.

Quote:

I think, without looking this up now, that the crusades took place over a period of at least 2 centuries and the offensive and defensive parties changed all the time.

In terms of battle tactics, sure. But Islam started the whole thing.

Quote:

If you come from France and England and other parts of Central or Western Europe with your armies to wage a war in Israel/Palestine I would not call it a defensive position.

that's because you look at it in a modern point of view. You can't do that and still understand what went on. It was not France attacking Jerusalem. It was Christianity attempting to free the Holy Land from Mulsims.

Quote:

And the crusaders were very well known for being, to put it very mildly, harsh when conquering cities in the region, while the armies of Saladin were at times very generous to those who surrendered.

There are always those who will be harsh or needlessly destructive, but the Crusades were not nearly the parody of despicability most make them out to be.

Quote:

Not to say that it is a totally reliable historical account, but watch the movie 'Kingdom of heaven' for a bit of an inkling of the situation.

Quote:

Ofcourse there is more and better literature on the subject.

You got that right.