I sold real estate in the city with the largest concentration of Arabs in the USA. Many of the old-time agents would not work with them. Arabs drove a hard bargain. I was forced to, as I was a newcomer to the city and had no 'sphere of influence', as they like to say in real estate. I actually melded great with their style of business, made many connections, and did very well courting them. They had money, were smart, and came to the party ready to deal. I also had many conversations with them about the never-ending conflicts in the Middle East. There was a reason they were now living in Detroit.

The major lesson I came away with was there was no clear cut right and wrong in the Middle East. I see the FB posts all day taking partisan sides as usual, from the safety of a padded office chair sitting in front of a computer. The usual mass media suspects are also lining up with their patented brands of distorted, one-sided propaganda of either 'Jew bad/Arab good' or 'Arab bad/Jew good'. We really don't have a clue, including me. It is about as twisted and gray a situation as one can find from a moral perspective. If I was a Christian, I might be getting little nervous about now with the setting of the stage for Armageddon and all. That would almost be poetic in a horrible way. All we can be sure of is a shitload of innocent people will be killed on both sides.

This quote came up today in memories, no doubt reflecting another Middle East cluster fuck from back in the day. It is perpetual. Amazing how Jewish and Arab babies all look alike when they are dead.