DSK wrote:

Martin Baxter wrote:

Thanks Doug, my knowledge of history in that area leaves something to
be desired.


Mine too... one of my goals in learning Spanish is to read about some of
the history involved.

Regards
Doug King


Did a bit of reading last night, turns out the Crusades analogy is not so bad. The first Crusade was relatively
successful, the objective was reached ('liberating' Jerusalem). The Second Crusade captured some more land, and shamelessly
sacked Constantinople along the way. The last three Crusades were pretty much a bust and in the long run most of the territory fell
back to the Saracens.

The one great legacy of the Crusades was the implementation of system of organized taxation, a lofty goal for the GOP (remember that's how this
arabesque got started).

Cheers
Marty