things I thought I'd never see

I never thought I'd see any of the following in my lifetime:

1. The fall of the Berlin Wall.
2. The disassembly of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
3. The Pope visiting Cuba.
4. "Arabs start to look within to find source of extremism."
(Headine, St. Petersburg Times, 9-21-2004)

Regarding number 4: It's about time. I have been wondering when the average man on the street (no need to be politically correct, here) in the Middle East will get sick and tired of seeing his short-term hopes and his future blown to hell by those who would rather kill than allow the winds of democracy to blow free. Like, y'know, elections. This is not a "Muslim" thing, but a mind-set rooted in the ancient past. Well, let me correct that: It is a Muslim thing, like the Inquisition was a Christian thing - correct that, a Catholic Church thing - except that the democratic societies have banished that sort of insanity to the history books.