Soldiers from western nations rushing to the Middle East to fight Muslims. Death, destruction and suffering on a vast scale, especially for those who live there regardless of whether or not they’re combatants or civilians. New military technologies employed to further imperial ambitions. Greed and supremacist beliefs driving the carnage.

This is what took place in the Middle Ages when Christian Crusaders from Europe sought to take control of the Holy Land from the Seljuk Turks from the Middle East. There were unholy alliances, treachery, looting, rape and rapine and all in the name of God.

We could be talking about today. Exchange the European Crusaders for their north American descendants, and switch God for oil, and you have a repeat of the conflict. Our species is labelled Homo Sapiens – Wise man. Yet when we look at our terrible history and the manner in which we tend to repeat our mistakes, we must surely question just how ‘wise’ we really are.

George Santayana, the Spanish writer and philosopher stated that “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

When you look at the following video, perhaps those words will hit harder. It should be remembered that the Seljuks eventually overcame the Crusaders, and those Europeans who survived were sent home with their tails between their legs and a new understanding of their place in a world that refused to allow them to dominate.

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