Was the Middle East better off before America intervened?

[jimboston]

I have a few clarifying questions for the OP:

(1) How do you define "better off?" Do you mean the governments or the upper class or the people? Do you mean economically, socially, or just be lives lost? Or all of the above?
(2) What is the beginning date for American intervention? 1941? 1945? 1990?
(3) Are you assuming no other countries are intervening?

How would you answer?

If I asked the question, which I wouldn't...

(1) All of the above.
(2) 1941.
(3) Yes.

That wasn't so difficult, was it?

The problem is... if you make these assumptions, the Troll known as mrswdk will point our how wrong you are based on the other assumptions. So it's a no win situation to answer the question in a vacuum.

[Symmetry]

I have a few clarifying questions for the OP:

(1) How do you define "better off?" Do you mean the governments or the upper class or the people? Do you mean economically, socially, or just be lives lost? Or all of the above?
(2) What is the beginning date for American intervention? 1941? 1945? 1990?
(3) Are you assuming no other countries are intervening?

How would you answer?

If I asked the question, which I wouldn't...

(1) All of the above.
(2) 1941.
(3) Yes.

That wasn't so difficult, was it?

The problem is... if you make these assumptions, the Troll known as mrswdk will point our how wrong you are based on the other assumptions. So it's a no win situation to answer the question in a vacuum.

Fair point, but having people point out that you're wrong is kind of a given in discussions.

[thegreekdog]

I have a few clarifying questions for the OP:

(1) How do you define "better off?" Do you mean the governments or the upper class or the people? Do you mean economically, socially, or just be lives lost? Or all of the above?
(2) What is the beginning date for American intervention? 1941? 1945? 1990?
(3) Are you assuming no other countries are intervening?

How would you answer?

If I asked the question, which I wouldn't...

(1) All of the above.
(2) 1941.
(3) Yes.

That wasn't so difficult, was it?

To be fair (to me), I'm answering the OP's question, not my own question. If I was answering my own question (was the middle east better off before American intervention), it would have been much easier.

[Symmetry]

I have a few clarifying questions for the OP:

(1) How do you define "better off?" Do you mean the governments or the upper class or the people? Do you mean economically, socially, or just be lives lost? Or all of the above?
(2) What is the beginning date for American intervention? 1941? 1945? 1990?
(3) Are you assuming no other countries are intervening?

How would you answer?

If I asked the question, which I wouldn't...

(1) All of the above.
(2) 1941.
(3) Yes.

That wasn't so difficult, was it?

To be fair (to me), I'm answering the OP's question, not my own question. If I was answering my own question (was the middle east better off before American intervention), it would have been much easier.

The 1,2,3 answers to your 1,2,3 question suggested to me that you were answering your own questions. We seem to be on different wavelengths here.

[Bernie Sanders]

Was the Middle East better off before America intervened?

That depends what regions you're talking about. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and The Gulf States did very well at the expense of the American taxpayer.

[thegreekdog]

The 1,2,3 answers to your 1,2,3 question suggested to me that you were answering your own questions. We seem to be on different wavelengths here.

We're either on different wavelengths or you're just an asshole.

[Symmetry]

The 1,2,3 answers to your 1,2,3 question suggested to me that you were answering your own questions. We seem to be on different wavelengths here.

We're either on different wavelengths or you're just an asshole.

*checks bodyparts*

We're on diffrrent wavelengths.