So how long will Ben last this time?

[kentonio]

Godwin. This is all the more reason to not want to be conquered by Islamists, not less.

You can't Godwin a conversation on ethnic cleansing by bringing up the nazis you ******, it could hardly be any more appropriate an example.

Incidentally, I know you're a horrible misogynist, but when did you also become a coward and a racist? I don't like the new Kid very much.

[Kidlicious]

You can't Godwin a conversation on ethnic cleansing by bringing up the nazis you ******, it could hardly be any more appropriate an example.

Incidentally, I know you're a horrible misogynist, but when did you also become a coward and a racist? I don't like the new Kid very much.

I'm none of those things you closed-minded ******. Certainly not a coward. What are you doing here with people who accept your ****ed up opinions? Why don't you stop preaching to the choir you coward.

[DinoDoc]

I think the answer to the question ken asked is, "Longer than Sava."

[Kidlicious]

Ken actually believes he's the Godwin judge. No one who thinks Islam is a horrible religion can call Godwin.

[kentonio]

I'm none of those things you closed-minded ******. Certainly not a coward. What are you doing here with people who accept your ****ed up opinions? Why don't you stop preaching to the choir you coward.

If you're not a coward then why are you wetting yourself about those terrible Muslims wanting to come and attack you, despite it being a load of right wing fear mongering bull****?

[Kidlicious]

If you're not a coward then why are you wetting yourself about those terrible Muslims wanting to come and attack you, despite it being a load of right wing fear mongering bull****?

1) The Koran tells them to.
2) Their clerics tell them to.
3) They are brainwashing their children to do it.
4) They are actually attacking us.

The most hilarious thing is that you are so stupid.

[C0ckney]

well then you'd best hide under the bed until it's safe to come out.

[Dauphin]

well then you'd best hide under the bed until it's safe to come out.

Terrible advice. Surely the Muslims monsters under the bed will get him if he does that.

[Ben Kenobi]

I think the answer to the question ken asked is, "Longer than Sava."

Damning with faint praise I see.

[Dinner]

yes, but it's fairly understandable. why spend months fighting in the endless mountains and forests of galicia and asturias when the rich lands of southern france are there for the plundering. also, the muslims only became vulnerable when their state broke up into several petty kingdoms, which must have been difficult to foresee for the original conquerors. plus of course, the christian kingdoms played their hand well, with just the right combination of obsequiousness and stiff resistance that allowed them to survive.

I read that a lot of their economy was based upon the slave trade and that yearly raids for slaves in Europe (they even had an outpost on the French Italian border for a while) was a big part of their economy. After Europeans became strong enough to end those raids their economy went into steep decline.

[DinoDoc]

Damning with faint praise I see.

Well to be fair, you didn't blow up at someone in a quite spectacular fashion. I'd say it was high praise.

[Elok]

I read that a lot of their economy was based upon the slave trade and that yearly raids for slaves in Europe (they even had an outpost on the French Italian border for a while) was a big part of their economy. After Europeans became strong enough to end those raids their economy went into steep decline.

This sharply contradicts most of what I've read (that their economy was built on international commerce and sundry commodities, and slave raids on the infidels, while profitable, were more of a prestige thing); may I ask where you read this?

[C0ckney]

yeah, you can't base an economy, at least of a civilised place, on slave raiding. they were wealthy because they had a money based economy, meaning that more resources could be concentrated centrally, and because they had well organised and productive agriculture and industry. i have a friend who owns a smallholding in northern portugal and the people there are still using irrigation channels cut into the hills by the muslims over a 1000 years ago.

[Elok]

Now, the Visigoths were supposed to be heavily involved in the slave trade--but Visigothic Spain was a ****hole.

[Kidlicious]

This sharply contradicts most of what I've read (that their economy was built on international commerce and sundry commodities, and slave raids on the infidels, while profitable, were more of a prestige thing); may I ask where you read this?

The booty, ransom, and slaves that resulted from attacks on Mediterranean towns and shipping and from occasional forays into the Atlantic became the main source of revenue for local Muslim rulers.

http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Barbary_States.aspx