So it's like today?

You have NO idea how hard it is to refrain from pulling a Godwin right now...

Mostly cause you have to feed and shelter slaves. It's simply cheaper to pay people to work for you. If you need proof, try to feed&shelter your family on a slave-level job today.

Religion, Ideology... a rose by a different name...

Reading Genesis (the book, not the band) alone is sufficient proof thereof.

That's a $500 lease payment and basically in line with a BMW 3 Series, not exactly demotic pricing but there's a lot of people shopping for something in that range, particularly after tax creds and discounting gasoline.

Yep.. Many years ago, I said in testimony before a Congressional committee (yeah, I went there):

"Humanity has been developing information technology for half a century. That experience has taught us this unpleasant truth: virtually every information technology project above a certain size or complexity is significantly late and over budget or fails altogether; those that don't fail are often riddled with defects and difficult to enhance. Fred Brooks explored many of the root causes over twenty years ago in The Mythical Man-Month, a classic book that could be regarded as the Bible of information technology because it is universally known, often quoted, occasionally read, and rarely heeded."

Software is hard, and it gets harder the larger the project. Stupid human behavior just compounds the problem. ..bruce..

Don't appear to make tv/home theater remotes.

Because ISIS doesn't give half a shit more about the Koran than the average politician over here does about the Bible. It's a tool to keep them in power and keep the sheep following them.

Why do you think people in the Middle East would be different from people in other parts of the world?

Isis is violating a fair lot of Islam rules. Not just now.

Just like so many radical groups they use religion as a tool to justify their actions. It's hardly a new idea.

Because when people learn critical thinking skills, they automatically dismiss ignorant hate-centered dogmas.

Any religion is afraid of science.

Religion is about faith.
Science is about doubt.

It's fairly easy to see why one is anathema of the other.

I can well see Muhammad and Jesus looking down on the whole mess and going "Dude, if I had known what they turn it into..." "Yeah, yeah, me neither".

About 3000/1000.

And some shrapnel.

Oh I'm fairly sure, if they thought they'd get away with it they'd cram the crap down your throat with fire and brimstone. It's not like the history of religion has been too peaceful.