I had the opportunity to talk with a Pakistani PhD a couple of years ago.  Our discussion was mostly about our common professional interests at the convention that we were attending, but then we wandered into global politics.



I asked him what, in his opinion, was the greatest threat to Pakistan. I expected him to say a nuclear armed India, or maybe the United States meddling in their affairs.



Surprisingly enough, to me at least, he said that he perceived  the greatest threat to Pakistan was Israel.



His reasoning was that Israel was the biggest threat to Pakistan because he thought that Pakistan was the sole Islamic country with nuclear weapons.  Israel has nuclear weapons, and is the Middle East's only regional "Superpower" because of their military might and their nuclear weapons.  He was very upset about what he considered to be the "occupation" of the Palestinian homeland and the subsequent "oppression" of the Palestinians by Israel and the need to rescue the Palestinians from this status.



Very interesting point of view from a very well-educated and intelligent man.  It is always very interesting to me to hear the viewpoints of others, especially when they differ so drastically from what I have heard in the past.

A lot of people, think what they where taught.

 

Just because someone is "intelligent" and he may very well be in his subject matter, does not mean they know what they are talking about or have any common sense.



I work with a lot of over educated yuppie types, and most of them even don't grasp the 2nd Amendment.

Yep. It's not like they are getting into constant live fire battles with a nuclear power next door.  

The problem over in that part of the world isn't that they are stupid, but that they are hopelessly tribal.  Jew are the "other" tribe, ergo bad.  Same with Europeans, Indians, Americans, etc.  Ironically enough, this tribalism keeps them ass backwards because you cannot have an effective market economy when basic business decisions are entirely made based on clan/family connections.  

IMO, this is completely understandable.



OTOH, I don't agree with his assessment that Israel is the biggest threat to Pakistan.



 

Biggest threat to Pakistan is Pakistan.  Followed by a US backed India attack with the intention of flushing the really nutty Muslims out in the open so we can slaughter them.

Hence my surprise.  I thought the biggest threat to Pakistan might be the nuclear-armed country next door that has a billion citizens and have fought multiple wars with over the last century.  No, he says, it is a tiny country thousands of miles away.
 

hate for the Jews has been brewing in this part of the world for centuries. 8 or 10 years of education doesn't always cure preconceptions that have literally been bred into people.