It's such a contrary opinion to how many of us view the Middle East that it's worth noting. GenerationalDynamics believes that Islam will divide with Sunni's on one side and Shia's on the other. While I'm not clear on all of the reasoning or evidence to the division the concept of opposing factions within a larger group seeking support from enemies of their enemies makes some sense in the larger picture. GenerationalDynamics has been posting about this for many years. An understanding of this concept does explain why the Middle East is unable to unite under a single voice and it may explain some of America's reluctance to force Iran's hand here of late. I'm not sure if I agree with GenerationalDynamics viewpoint but it is worth considering in the long term.

From the 25-Jun-12 World View

http://www.generationaldynamics.com/cgi-....

Quote:

Generational Dynamics predicts that the entire Mideast region is headed for a massive war along the Sunni/Shia fault line, with Saudi Arabia leading the Sunni side and Iran leading the Shia side. However, even that fault line isn't 100% clear, as we've seen in the 2007 war between the Palestinian Authority (Fatah) and Hamas. As I've been writing for many years, my expectation is that in the coming Clash of Civilizations world war, the Sunni Muslim states will side with Pakistan and China, while Iran will side with India, Russia and the West, including Israel. What will Egypt do? That's not knowable at this time, but there's at least a 50% chance that Egypt will side with the West, and not with Saudi Arabia.

Iran side with Israel?! ya ok

Warned ya from the start I did

More along these lines from the same source.

Quote:

http://www.generationaldynamics.com/cgi-....

Iran's government embarrassed by poll on nuclear enrichment

The government of Iran has been embarrassed by, of all things, a poll by a state television news channel that unexpectedly revealed that 63% of Iranians favor curbing uranium enrichment, if it would mean an end to increasingly draconian western sanctions. Furthermore, only 20% supported closing the Strait of Hormuz, which senior Iranian officials have been threatening. The poll is consistent with what I've been saying for years -- Iran is in a generational Awakening era, just one generation past the the 1979 Great Islamic Revolution, followed by the Iran/Iraq war that climaxed in 1987. The generations of survivors of those wars are hardline Islamists, while the generations that grew up after the war are rebelling against their parents' generation, just as college students rebelled against their own parents during America's last generational Awakening era, in the 1960s. (and his source)The National (UAE) http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/mid....

I don't think anyone wants war among the civilian population, and closing the straits would lead to exactly that.

What someone ought to do over there is propose LFTRs for power and watch the roaches scramble.