World Borders 2010

The borders of countries today are set for a variety of reasons; all the wars, politics, trading, and history have resulted in the borders we now see. Our President thinks that we should ignore the history of the past 45 years, and roll back borders to 1967. Not a well thought out idea; if we roll back the borders to 1967, does that mean the borders of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Montenegro, East Germany, and Germany have to revert to the way they were in 1967? If not, then why not? Why should just one country have to ignore all the history of the past 45 years and reset its border?

Why 1967, why not 1959, I'm sure the native Hawaiians want their country back. Of course then Obama would be a Hawaiian not an US Citizen and have to give up his current job.

Why not go back further and give the Bohemians their old borders back. I'm sure the Saxons want their country returned as well. Is it fair that the Kingdoms of Naples don't have their old borders? I'm sure the Vikings miss not having the British Isles in their domain any longer.

Wasn't Israel and all of that area including Egypt once part of Rome? Wasn't Greece once part of the Persian Empire?

Many Japanese might think that early 1942 is where borders should be reset. Of course the people of Korea, Manchuria, Burma, Siam, Indo-China, the Philippines, and New Guinea might not like that, then again, considering today's economy they might. I'm sure Mongolia would like to set the boundaries at around 1264 or so.

History is not something we can ignore. It is also not justification for resetting today's borders to some past borders. Forcing Israel to revert to its 1967 borders is no different than saying the border between North and South Korea should be eliminated. Both ideas ignore the realities that war, politics, and history have done to change those borders. The 1967 Israeli border is no more valid today than are any of the historic former borders of Germany. Future wars, politics, trading, and changes in the people and fabric that creates history will mean that the borders we see today will not be the borders we see tomorrow.